Welcome to nature's future on NIOO's grand Open Day

NIOO only opens its doors to visitors once every three years. On Saturday 5 October, everyone was welcome to look around our unique building and grounds, talk to our researchers and take part in some forty activities focusing on how nature works and how it is changing. Some 1600 people joined us, to find out more about nature's future!

Nature in the 21st century is under constant pressure, and so are we. How can we deal with extreme weather, invasive species or light pollution? Can we bring back some real wilderness? And how do we protect our crops in a way that is actually sustainable? Research done at NIOO covers all these questions and more.

That's why the theme of our 2019 Open Day was "welcome to nature's future". We had a day full of activities for all ages, from our MicrOlympics to the popular Fat Goose Game, and from experiments you can do yourself to a unique opportunity to have your picture taken as a microbe or an owl chick! 

There were also guided tours, a Science Quiz and our grand Climate Pursuit competition: how do YOU survive 100 years of climate change? NIOO's Open Day was part of the national Dutch Science Weekend and Biology Week.

With more than 300 staff members and students, the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) is one of the largest research institutes of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). The institute specialises in water and land ecology. As of 2011, the institute is located in an innovative and sustainable research building in Wageningen, the Netherlands. NIOO has an impressive research history that stretches back 60 years and spans the entire country, and beyond.

More information:

• Science information officer Froukje Rienks, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), tel. +31-6-10487481 / +31-317-473590, f.rienks@nioo.knaw.nl