Why?

The grounds around the building are put to intensive use in NIOO’s ecological research. We are trying to understand how nature works. This fundamental knowledge is applied to nature management, policy-making and other areas.

How?

In addition to solar panels, helophyte filters and other ecotechnology, the grounds feature greenhouses, aviaries, ponds and experimental gardens. These are used for studying the workings of nature in detail and conducting experiments with plants and insects, for example.

A number of great tit nest boxes are also located in the grounds. They are used in NIOO’s renowned great tit research that began in 1955, making it one of the longest-running research projects in the world. The remainder of the great tit research is carried out in ten other locations across the Netherlands, including the Wadden Island of Vlieland and the Hoge Veluwe National Park.

This does not mean NIOO fieldwork is limited to just the Netherlands. NIOO researchers have gone as far as Svalbard and South America. However, the building and its grounds remain their home base; a lynch pin linking researchers of almost 30 nationalities