Hi Annelies! We’re excited to get to know you better! You currently work as a palaeoecologist at Ruben Willaert NV. Could you explain to our readers what a palaeoecologist actually does?
Like an ecologist, a palaeoecologist studies how organisms interact with each other and their environment. The difference is: we look at these interactions not in the present, but in the past. To do so, we rely on what has been preserved in the soil. Not only the sediments themselves, but also plant remains, bones, shells, algae, fungal spores, and so on. Of course, no single palaeoecologist specialises in all of these. I focus on two types of microscopic remains: pollen grains, which help reconstruct past vegetation, and diatoms, which tell us more about ancient aquatic environments. We find these remains both in natural deposits and in man-made features like wells, pits, and ditches, which my archaeological colleagues excavate and I help analyse.
You’re originally from Belgium, but you chose to study Geoarchaeology/Landscape Archaeology at the "Vrije Universiteit" in Amsterdam. Just like our Geopark, you were already crossing borders in your student days! What drew you to this master's programme, and did you feel at home on Dutch soil? J
Even as a child, I was fascinated by both archaeology and fossils. When it came time to choose a field of study, I initially went with geology and palaeontology because I naturally gravitated toward science. After completing that degree, I discovered that the "Vrije Universiteit" in Amsterdam offered a programme that combined both worlds, science and archaeology, and I didn’t have to think twice. Now I know: it’s not either-or. Science and archaeology complement each other beautifully. And crossing the border to study was something I was happy to do. Besides, with a Dutch mother, who once crossed the border in the opposite direction for her studies, the Netherlands doesn’t feel foreign to me.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Any special hobbies?
In my spare time, I’m active on the parents’ council at my children’s school and involved in the local cyclists’ union. I also enjoy playing badminton and recently started taking music lessons to learn the most beautiful instrument of all: the cello. And if contributing to scientific publications counts as a hobby… You can include that too!
You’ve been part of the Geopark Scientific Advisory Board for some time now. Could you name two things you enjoy most about being involved?
I love the challenge of making complex things understandable and visual. The Scientific Advisory Board has already given me several opportunities to do just that, contributing ideas for the Geopark’s “Sun Garden”, the experience map... I’m excited to see what we’ll create next! I also enjoy learning from the other members: different disciplines, different perspectives, people with years of experience. Even while working on the area descriptions, I learned so much.
Is there anything you hope to achieve with the Scientific Advisory Board?
I’m a big fan of the beautifully detailed palaeogeographical maps that exist in the Netherlands. They’re a valuable tool for understanding how a region has formed and developed over time. Wouldn’t it be amazing if the Scientific Advisory Board could help extend those maps across the border into Flanders?
