Doggerland Lecture: Kathy Willis - The new science on how nature approves health

On Wednesday evening 17 September 2025, the renowned British biologist Professor Baroness Kathy Willis will deliver the prestigious Doggerland Lecture at the Natural History Museum in Rotterdam.

In partnership with the British Council and with support from other organisations the Natural History Museum Rotterdam presents the 11th edition of the annual lecture (formerly known as the Hoboken Lecture).

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?

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.

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.

Book your Doggerland Lecture ticket

1. Regular ticket € 22,50
2. Student ticket € 10,00

Please note that discount cards or museum passes can not be used when purchasing the ticket.

1. If you have any questions please contact info@hetnatuurhistorisch.nl.

Ticket includes the lecture programme, free drinks and an evening visit at the Natural History Museum.

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 University 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 at the Natural History Museum Rotterdam

About 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 Doggerland Lecture

The Doggerland Lecture combines natural sciences with culture and is organized annually by the Natural History Museum Rotterdam and the British Council. 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 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