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Very strong combination for dealing with social themes in the province

Finding solutions to urgent issues in the fields of climate, nature, landscape and cultural heritage in the province of Utrecht together. That is the core of the collaboration that Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� and Stichting Landschap Erfgoed Utrecht will enter into on Monday 14 March 2022. The two institutions believe that this will let them contribute to healthy inhabitants in a healthy and appealing (cultural) living environment.

You cannot escape it: in the upcoming years, inhabitants of the province of Utrecht will find themselves dealing with the consequences of climate change. This can be seen well in meadow-bird areas. It is 5 minutes to twelve for the lapwing, black-tailed godwit, curlew and redshank. Whereas agricultural machines were previously the big danger for these meadow birds, a new threat has come around since then: soil degradation. Intensive agriculture has turned many meadow areas into green deserts; this makes it more difficult for lapwings and their offspring to find food.

How to solve that? Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� investigates these kinds of questions, and the professionals and volunteers of Landschap Erfgoed Utrecht work daily on practical solutions such as constructing wet grass verges that attract bugs. All in all, both organisations have abundant knowledge bases. What would happen if you combine those? “Then you'll get a very strong combination for dealing with a number of urgent social themes in the province,” says Ivo Brautigam, Director of Landschap Erfgoed Utrecht.

You don't want students to discuss problems just in the classroom, but that they also have the option to actually investigate the environment

Counteracting dehydration

The collaboration between the two organisations begins with two projects in the fields of research, education, innovation and public education. “But we're not ruling out that we'll be doing many more things together in the future,” says Brautigam. The first project that Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� and Landschap Erfgoed Utrecht will begin together with a number of private partners is the dehydration project. The goal of this project is to let farmers (and other land owners) make better considerations between production and biodiversity. For instance, is it correct that more biodiversity makes for less dehydration? And if it does, what would that then mean for Utrecht residents' backyards? At a farm in Groenekan, testing fields are being set up.

“Such a project provides very many opportunities for researchers and students,” says Anton Pijpers, President of the Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� Executive Board. “Our education and research are increasingly more focused on the complex systems in the outside world. You don't want students to just discuss problems in the classroom, but that they also have the option to actually investigate the environment. The collaboration with Landschap Erfgoed Utrecht provides possibilities in the forms of internships and practical education. And also for field work for academics besides that.”

Preservation and restoration of biodiversity in Utrecht Science Park

Another project within the collaboration is the preservation and restoration of the biodiversity in Utrecht Science Park (USP). The university wants to restore nature in its own area and connect the wildlife areas around USP to each other, so animals can use the habitat again. The measures to achieve this include the construction of wooded banks. This way, pre-existing groves and thickets will be connected to each other to benefit birds and small mammals. Bats love to use wooded banks as part of their flight paths. Besides that, pools are constructed to enhance the habitat of the crested newt and the grass snake.

Merel Soons, a Professor of Plant Dispersal Ecology and Preservation, provides advice based on her research on how biodiversity in and around USP can be restored. “There are beautiful opportunities in our very own Utrecht Science Park for the restoration and enhancing of plant and animal populations, such as the grass snake. Besides the restoring of their habitat, proper management is also essential. Pools need to be well maintained in order to remain suitable for the crested newt and the grass snake. That's something Landschap Erfgoed Utrecht has much experience with. So we'll gratefully use their knowledge and we beautifully complement each other that way.”