Tag Archives: Science

A new chapter: looking back, looking forward

Last year I wrote about a major milestone: moving The 3D Lab to Utrecht University and stepping into my role as assistant professor in ecological scaling. Today, I’m happy to share the next chapter in that story: as of November, … Continue reading

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How to set up your own microclimate network

Back in 2021, we had an important thought: maybe we should start treating microclimate the same way we treat macroclimate. Weather and climate are monitored by national governments through organized, standardized networks – so why not microclimate too? We wrote … Continue reading

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The Tea Bag Index: simple on the surface, complex beneath

Oftentimes the simplest scientific methods hide a whole iceberg of complexity. The Tea Bag Index (TBI) is no exception. On the face of it, it’s brilliantly straightforward: bury some green and rooibos Lipton tea bags, dig them up after about … Continue reading

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Non-native plants in the worlds’ cities

Non-native species have been widely studied for decades, and their affinity with urban environments is no surprise to anyone in the field. However, just how many non-native species dwell in our cities was so far unknown. With a global consortium … Continue reading

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When the same data tells a different story

Scientific research often presents itself as a search for truth—rigorous, objective, and driven by data. But what if the same dataset, analyzed by different researchers, leads to different conclusions? That’s exactly what happened when a group of ecologists, including myself, … Continue reading

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Sensors with a view

Not all fieldwork pictures are equally breathtaking. While part of our team waded through the muddy mud of De Driehoek – one of our university campus’s last patches of nature – another group embarked on a rather more inspiring mission: … Continue reading

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