Increase impact

By sharing our knowledge, achieving more education and research on biodiversity and increasing support for biodiversity restoration, we can reach more people who can engage in biodiversity. This is how the university increases its (positive) impact on biodiversity. We do this, for example, through the deployment of the Biodiversity Council, by participating in the National Delta Plan for Biodiversity Restoration, nature work days and public competitions.

Biodiversity Council

To make best use of our own scientific expertise, a Biodiversity Council has been appointed. This council supports policy development from science and provides the Executive Board with solicited and unsolicited advice on how the university can strengthen biodiversity.

Its members:

• Merel Soons 
  Professor, focus ecology, biodiversity and nature conservation - chair 
• Marijke van Kuijk
  Assistant professor in Tropical Forest Ecology and coordinator of the Prince Bernhard Chair for International Nature Conservation 
• Hens Runhaar 
  Associate professor, Governance of nature and biodiversity, Copernicus Institute and guest professor WUR
• Marie-Jeanne Schiffelers
  Associate professor, senior advisor and manager USBO Advies

National Delta Plan Biodiversity Restoration

We participate in the Deltaplan Biodiversity Restoration. Within this collaboration, nature organisations, farmers, citizens, knowledge institutions, governments and companies are jointly committed to biodiversity restoration in the Netherlands. UU research groups within the Department of Biology, the Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Botanical Gardens weave the goals of the Deltaplan Biodiversity Restoration into their education and research and share knowledge with society. 

RTV Utrecht portrait series

Watch episode three of this series of portraits by RTV Utrecht with Merel Soons, ecologist and scientist at UU, who wants to solve the mysteries of nature.