On Wednesday 17 September 2025, the renowned British biologist Professor Baroness Kathy Willis will deliver the prestigious Doggerland Lecture in Rotterdam. The programme starts at 19:00.
The lecture is sold out, unfortunately you can no longer buy a ticket!
In partnership with the British Council and with support from other organisations, the Natural History Museum Rotterdam presents the 11th edition of the lecture series (formerly known as the Hoboken Lecture).
Professor Baroness Kathy Willis - Good Nature: The new science of how nature improves our health
Did you know that cedar enhances cancer-fighting cells in our immune system? Or that touching wood makes us feel calmer (the woodier, the knottier, the better)? Or that the scent of roses helps people drive more calmly and safely?
Fifteen years ago, eminent biologist Professor Baroness Kathy Willis CBE of the University of Oxford read a study that radically changed her view of our relationship to the natural world. The study revealed that hospital patients recovering from surgery improved three times faster when they looked out of their windows at trees rather than seeing walls. Since then, she has dedicated her research to proving this link between the amount of green space in our lives and our better health, mood and longevity.
Join Kathy, author of Good Nature (in Dutch Groene Zintuigen), as she takes a science-based look at how, by bringing nature into our towns and cities, we can reduce the costs of healthcare and create a better, happier and healthier environment.
Programme
19:00 - Doors open at the venue: Kunsthal, opposite to the Natural History Museum
19:30 - Welcome by Meike Moors, Director Natural History Museum Rotterdam
19:35 - Musical prelude: The Lark Ascending , by Ralph Vaughan Williams, performed by students of Codarts Rotterdam
19:50 - Introduction to the speaker's theme by Constant Swinkels - PhD Plant Ecology, Radboud Universiteit and member of Faces of Science
20:00 - Doggerland lecture by Baroness Professor Kathy Willis CBE
20:45 - Q&A moderated by Maarten Keulemans, Science Editor de Volkskrant
21:15 - Closing remarks by British Ambassador Chris Rampling
21:20 - Drinks and reception in the Natural History Museum Rotterdam
About the Doggerland Lecture
The Natural History Museum Rotterdam and the British Council proudly join forces once again to present the Doggerland Lecture. An annual lecture that combines natural sciences with culture. The lecture highlights the crucial role that scientific research and cultural activity play in helping us understand contemporary society. It also aims to reposition important debates where they belong — in the public domain, among engaged and informed citizens. The audience is encouraged to interact with the speaker and to contribute to the discussion. The venue of the Doggerland Lecture is the auditorium of the Kunsthal , directly opposite the Natural History Museum. The Doggerland Lecture is the successor to the Hoboken Lecture which delivered ten lectures between 2011 and 2023. From 2025 onwards the annual lecture will continue as Doggerland Lecture. This new name alludes to the land that once connected the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
More information:
What is the Doggerland Lecture and more about the past lectures.
About Professor Baroness Kathy Willis
Professor Baroness Kathy Willis CBE is Professor of Biodiversity in the department of Biology and the Principal of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford.
She is also a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords. Previous roles include Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Key, and a member of the UK Government’s Natural Capital Committee.
In 2015, Kathy was awarded the Michael Faraday Medal for public communication of the science from the Royal Society.
About Constant Swinkels
Constant Swinkels has been a naturalist since the age of ten and is currently completing a PhD on plant–pollinator interactions at the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES). Through his research and public engagement, he aims to foster a deeper appreciation for nature. He has been elected as one of the Faces of Science by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and was awarded the Hermesdorf Talent Award for his communication efforts on biodiversity.
Partners and sponsors
