Social Media – Lily Harper

Social Platforms

I have built up an audience of over 30,000 followers across different digital platforms including Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and my blog. This audience cares about the same things I do: sustainable living and outdoor adventures while treating the natural world with respect.

Here are some examples of my work, including short films on YouTube, my Instagram feed, and publication features.

lilyaliceharper

During my (uni finals!!!) exam today I came across

During my (uni finals!!!) exam today I came across this quote and felt it deserved to be shared. It was probably mostly exam hysteria but it brought a lil tear to my eye 💛

“We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations. The spirit of human solidarity and kinship with all life is strengthened when we live with reverence for the mystery of being, gratitude for the gift of life, and humility regarding the human place in nature.”

(From ‘The Earth Charter’)

#natureconnection #bristol #degreepending #happyheart

Fallow deer AKA Bambi AKA Dama dama 🦌 #fallowd

Fallow deer AKA Bambi AKA Dama dama 🦌

#fallowdeer #wildlifephotography #wildlifephotographer #britishwildlife #britishwildlifephotography #deer #wildlifeconservation #womeninwildlifephotography #olympus #bristolnaturenetwork

She’s always wondering what it would be like to

She’s always wondering what it would be like to fly 🕊 #throughtheechoes

🦊 Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) 🦊

Foxy folklore 🧡
• The fox was a sacred animal to the Celts; thought to contain great magic and representing cunning, but without the negative connotations we now associate with that trait

• They are also considered the ‘master of diplomacy’ and wise council, and often seen in folk tales as advisors

• In the Middle Ages, the fox was associated with the devil because it was thought to roll in red soil and then hold its breath to play dead in order to attract birds, which would then become its prey

• In folk magic, foxes represent camouflage and invisibility, and it has been recommended that if you want to slip away unseen, you should invoke a fox 🦊

I could probably write an entire book with all of my favourite foxy folky facts, so I’ll practise restraint and stop here! 🧡

#britishwildlife #britishwildlifephotography #britishwildlifephotographer #foxoftheday #olympus #wildlifephotography #wildlifephotographer #conservationist #womeninphotography #womeninscience #folklore #animalfolklore #animalmagic

It just never, ever gets old 💜 #wildlifephotog

It just never, ever gets old 💜

#wildlifephotography #britishwildlifephotography #bluebells #bluebellcarpet #woodlandphotography #woodland #bluebellwoods #plantpower #plantconservation #westwoods #wiltshire #wiltshirewildlife

This little guy is here to remind you to wash your

This little guy is here to remind you to wash your face with the morning dew 💧 happy May Day/Beltane! 🧚🏻

#irishroots #beltane #mayday #harvestmouse #britishwildlife #britishwildlifecentre #wildlifeconservation #olympusomd #wildlifephotography #wildlifephotographer #naturephotography #naturephotographer #wildlifeconservation #natureshot #natureshots @britishwildlifecentre

This little guy looks like your standard tabby cat

This little guy looks like your standard tabby cat, but he’s actually a Scottish wildcat, which there could be as few as 30 individuals of left in the wild 💔 this is partly because they’ve bred with domestic cats - which, though they may look similar to, they are VERY different! It’s impossible to domesticate Scottish wildcats - no one has ever managed to, and it’s pretty evident when you’re in their presence - it’s like the attitude of a tiger in the form of a tabby! 🐯 this little boy came and sniffed my shoe and I was actually a bit scared, which seems ridiculous looking at this picture 😂 but he was absolutely gorgeous, and I’m so happy the British Wildlife Centre are helping with their numbers 💛

#scottishwildcat #wildlifeconservation #britishwildlifecentre #britishwildlife #conservationist #womeninconservation #olympus #wildlifephotography #wildlifephotographer #naturephotography

Passing on an important bit of info that I wasn’

Passing on an important bit of info that I wasn’t aware of until last year (thank you @oak.and.bramble!). I always knew it was illegal to pick bluebells, but until I posted pics from West Woods last spring, my little brain hadn’t made the connection (even with a conservation degree…) that you probably shouldn’t walk through them or lie in them either 😬 I thought that treading carefully barefoot and not picking them = not doing them any harm, but unfortunately that’s not the case. (NB: I am actually stood on a little pathway in the first pic, not on any bluebells!! 💜)

This is because they take so long to establish (about 5-7 years from seed to flower) and they can take years to recover from footfall damage 💔 with bluebell social media posts and the sheer number of bluebell woods in the UK (almost half of the world’s bluebells are in this country), it’s become really popular to take pictures in and of them. While this is partly a great thing because it means people are taking more of an interest in nature, it’s also having a detrimental effect on their numbers as they’re trodden on and picked.

We need to protect these ancient ecosystems, and West Woods is particularly special to me because of childhood memories I’ve mentioned on here before. So this weekend when I head back to see this year’s bluebell carpet, I will make sure to stick to the paths (and my little tree stump!) and tread carefully. Please please do the same 💙

#bluebellseason #westwoods #natureconservation #bluebellcarpet #woodlandmagic @nationaltrust @forestryengland

Just found out that the government has announced a

Just found out that the government has announced a new Natural History GCSE thanks to @marycolwell1, such amazing news 🥺 obviously (very) late to the game and it still won’t be implemented for a few years yet, but a massive step in the right direction. So happy that future generations (including my kids!) will get the option to do this 🌿💚 #natureconnection

#naturephotography #britishwildlifecentre #britishwildlife #wildlifephotography #wildlifephotographer #naturephotographer #natgeo #wildlifeconservation #womeninscience #womeninphotography #tawnyowl @britishwildlifecentre

Tawny owl (Strix aluco) 🦉 Such a privilege to

Tawny owl (Strix aluco) 🦉

Such a privilege to be able to meet this tawny owl yesterday. Back home in Wiltshire, you see (and hear) all sorts of owls, but since moving to Bristol I’ve barely seen any, so I was really excited to get the chance to photograph Florence at the @britishwildlifecentre - especially after writing a uni essay about barn owls last year! They are such incredible animals 🤎 though each species has its own collection of lore, here are some general bits of folk wisdom ✨

In Celtic folklore, owls are seen as diplomats and messengers, guiding people in times of change. They are associated with the moon, magic, wisdom, and honesty - but also with darkness and death, feared because they represent things that humans do not understand (darkness and night). For this reason, they were worshipped but not necessarily trusted, and in some cultures their feathers are actually called ‘deceiver feathers’ because they are so silent 🦉

🔮 in folk magic, owls are called upon to allow you to:
• see the truth behind a lie
• hear words that remain unspoken
• notice nuances that others miss
• look at the world through another’s eyes
• locate lost objects
• see clearly in the darkness (literally or spiritually)
And if an owl appears to you, it suggests you are being kept in the dark about something… 🌌

#wildlifephotography #wildlife #nature #birds #naturephotography #photography #animals #britishwildlifecentre #birdphotography #birdsofinstagram #naturelovers #owlphotography #tawnyowl #animal #wild #canon #animalwisdom #birdwatching #captures #olympus #natgeo #wildlifeplanet #birding #animalphotography #macro #natureshots #britishwildlife #wildlifephotographer #folklore

Today I went to a photography day at the British W

Today I went to a photography day at the British Wildlife Centre AKA heaven 🦦 🦊 the whole centre is closed to the public for the day and you get to go inside the enclosures and photograph the animals super close up (as you can see… naughty Morty the fox tried and failed to destroy my shoelaces, phone, and bag) and learn about their histories - most are rescues and they are usually reintroduced to the wild 💚 also Alan Titchmarsh and Judy Dench were there filming today so we met them (and I massively fan girled not at them but the production/camera crew 😂) and they were all so friendly!! GET ME INTO THIS INDUSTRYYYY 🎥🌿🫧

#wildlifephotography #britishwildlifecentre #wildlifephotographer #wildlifefilmmaker #wildlifefilmmaking #otter #fox #britishwildlife #wildlifeconservation #animalmagnet #animalphotography #naturephotography

#everydayisearthday 💚 (but also Happy Earth Day

#everydayisearthday 💚 (but also Happy Earth Day 🌎🥳)

Lookin for ma next stroopwafel 👀 (clearly someo

Lookin for ma next stroopwafel 👀 (clearly someone needs to explain to me how sunglasses work)

🇳🇱🚲🌷🧇

Spring sunsets 🌅💛

Spring sunsets 🌅💛

3 years ago today 💛✨ #secondhome #hobbithole

3 years ago today 💛✨
#secondhome #hobbithole

Hello spring 👋 (I say as we’re right in the m

Hello spring 👋 (I say as we’re right in the middle of our blackthorn winter) 🌞🌼

tfw you’ve been googling “paolo nutini tour”

tfw you’ve been googling “paolo nutini tour” on a weekly basis for the last 5 years and then his first comeback gig is in your home city and you get tickets 😭🤸🏻‍♀️🤸🏻‍♀️🤸🏻‍♀️

Don’t know why it took me so long to realise bot

Don’t know why it took me so long to realise both of our names come from plants! 🫒🌸 had a little look in my plant folklore bible and thought this was so cool!! #oppositesattract 🧔🏻👩🏻☀️🔥🌙💧

Happy #WorldStorytellingDay 📖✨ stories create

Happy #WorldStorytellingDay 📖✨ stories create magic and meaning from disconnection and allow us to see the world through another lens. The human brain is actually wired to think in story terms 🧠 which is why more and more people are recognising the power of storytelling for things like science communication and conservation work (basically what my whole diss is about)! 💚 stories and folklore teach us valuable lessons about living well in the world and respecting other ways of life than your own, and ask for nothing in return. So maybe, if you have a spare 5 minutes today, read a story - or tell one to somebody else 💛✨

Load More… Follow on Instagram