In the media
October 2025: What is sustainability?
Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ has all kinds of projects related to biodiversity and sustainability. This video shows a collection, starring one of our postdoctoral researchers Monique de Jager about her citizen science project: Blown in by the wind! Check out the video (Dutch only):
July 2025: How the Botanic Gardens can help save plant species on the brink of extinction
Curator or detective? This article showcases an exciting study on a species in the vast collection of species at Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ Botanic Gardens. From a genetic perspective it was discovered that what we thought was the case turned out to be something very different... Do you want to know more? Check out this article: /en/news/how-the-botanic-gardens-can-help-save-plant-species-on-the-brink-of-extinction
June 2025: Pastures as a living lab
Previously, a living lab was realized to test how different grass‑and‑herb mixtures affect drought resilience and water retention in grasslands. Working with Landschap Erfgoed Utrecht, we installed sensors that continuously record soil moisture and temperature aiming to see how biodiversity influences the amount of water held in the soil and overall grass productivity. The ultimate goal is to give farmers and landowners concrete guidance on choosing seed mixes that both support biodiversity and help mitigate future droughts, even down to backyard gardens. Check out the article and video's below (Dutch only):
May 2025: Blown in by the wind
A radio interview on a project by Monique de Jager about what plants will come into pots on their own accord, spread out across schools in the Utrecht region. The interview can be listened to , and more about the project or how to participate can be found on this dedicated website.
March 2025: Among the plants in Western Europe there are many devils and witches
A news article interview by the NRC with PhD student Isabela Pombo Geertsma about her research into the ethnobotanical context of ritual plants in Europe.
August 2024: New Age ritual sends ’bad energies’ and foreign wild plants up in smoke
From how far do plants come to end up in bouquets used in rituals to ward off evil spirits and has this changed the sustainability of these practices? Read all about it in this media piece on a new paper by PhD student Isabela Pombo Geertsma. /en/news/new-age-ritual-sends-bad-energies-and-foreign-wild-plants-up-in-smoke
January 2024: : To scare or not to scare the Barnacle geese?
Postdoc Monique de Jager was recently in the regional and national news with her study on the cost effectiveness of scaring away Barnacle geese from pastures in the Netherlands. Take a look at this item from , listen to it on or read about it on for example !
Augustus 2023: Symbolism and myths in flower bouquet
Ever wondered what stories are hiding in a bouquet? The PhD research by Isabela Pombo Geertsma is all about finding this out and was featured in a .
Juni 2023: Â A cheap lightning rod and protection against witchcraft: the St. John's bouquet as a research object
Juni 2023: A cheap lightning rod and protection against witchcraft: the St. John's bouquet as a research object, a regional news article on research by PhD student Isabela Pombo Geertsma.
September 2022: Gijs Steur on Botanical Gardens in "Traveling trough the digital heritage" (Dutch only)
In this podcast episode of Paulus & De Nijs "" one of our curators, Gijs Steur, tells all about what it means to be have a scientific collection, how to maintain and curate it and how we make it available for the public.
April 2022: A quantitative look on ecology (English)
April 2022: On species diversity, extinction and the future (Dutch)
October 2021: Will the Netherlands be filled with nettles and blackberries? (Dutch only)
Almost half of all species in the Netherlands are threatened with extinction. In of the ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ of the Netherlands, Edwin Pos explains why the loss of biodiversity is bad for our planet, but also how science can hopefully still save biodiversity.