Twilight Safari

Even here, in this highly urban, engineered, agricultural landscape, there are those who have managed to maintain traditional knowledge of the environment. Ancient knowledge passed down through the generations, by those who work the land and live on it. Today’s walk isn’t about birdwatching, or naming all the species you encounter. It’s about locating yourself in the ecosystem, and learning to see it for what it is. From the feel of the wind, to the animals and the tracks they leave behind, the smells of the water and of the various plants and mushrooms, the meaningful songs of the birds, everything you become aware of can tell you something about the complex interwovenness of the land. There is so much nature hidden in plain sight. For today’s outdoor masterclass, we’re not going to explore some wild nature reserve and hunt for beavers and badgers; no, we’re going to explore our own campus at twilight. Transcend the boundary between the human world and the natural world right here where you study and work every day. We have limited space for this event so sign up quickly! The exact location will be shared at a later moment, as well as information regarding the weather and appropriate clothing. Speaker Michel Grobbe is our guide today. He is a tracker and a lecturer at the Aeres University of Applied Sciences in Wageningen. Featured in Tyson Yunkaporta’s “Right Story, Wrong Story,” Michel is shown to be a peer and collaborator who highlights the universality of Indigenous and place-based land-management methodologies, showing that deeply rooted, localized ecological knowledge is not exclusive to the Global South but survives within European lineages as well. Regeneration: a collaboration with LDE’s Center for Sustainability This event is a collaboration with the LDE (Leiden-Delft-Erasmus) Centre for Sustainability. Exploring the emerging paradigm of regeneration, the Centre brings perspectives from academia and practice in a white paper that will be released on December 3rd. More info here: Regenerative Futures | Centre for Sustainability