The Hague is alive with nature – you just have to look

His fascination with urban nature runs so deep that ecologist Joeri Morpurgo could happily stand and stare for an hour at a patch of vegetation. ‘It might seem a little odd, peering at a tiny plant, but there’s always something happening. You just have to look.’  

Urban nature deserves more appreciation – and that’s exactly what Joeri Morpurgo works on every day. His research into green spaces in The Hague explores what urban vegetation does for both people and nature. And that means all urban green: from tiny pavement gardens to sweeping parks like Zuiderpark.  

Biodiversity is just one side of Joeri’s work – he also explores how people fit into the picture. How can greenery help cool the city or reduce air pollution? Does it benefit our health? And what can we do to help? 

You don’t need to leave the city to see incredible beauty

‘The green spaces in the Hague are full of life’, says Joeri. ‘We now need to find ways to protect nature and ourselves, starting with more thoughtful choices about the vegetation our cities need. Reducing paving, concrete and asphalt creates a better ecosystem, which is known to improve air quality and drainage, cool the city and benefit our health. And being surrounded by greenery also helps reduce stress.’  

It was during a field trip, as part of his biology teacher training, that Joeri’s fascination for urban nature started. ‘We spent a day with an urban ecologist in Amsterdam. I thought it was brilliant. That’s when I realised this was what I wanted to do. You don’t have to leave the city and venture deep into the woods to discover interesting biodiversity. There’s incredible beauty all around us. And I’m still close enough to cafés and bars for a drink!’  

More awareness of your surroundings

As Joeri walks through a city, he’s always observing the world around him. You might know the Fish Doorbell or have watched the live stream of the moose migration in Sweden, but there’s just as much to discover in your own city. ‘Standing and staring at a plant might seem a little odd, but there’s always something happening. You just have to look. How is the plant moving? What’s flying by? What insects does it attract? Every living thing in that tiny patch of urban green has an impact on us, too. I want more people to become notice and appreciate that.’    

Out with the paving

You can support urban biodiversity even if you don’t have a garden. ‘Try putting a few pots with plants, or even just some soil, on your balcony and see what drifts in. It doesn’t have to be perfectly maintained: nature is surprisingly resilient, especially in cities. Or see whether you and your neighbours could remove some paving to create more green space. The success of the Dutch national ‘tile-tipping’ championship shows that attitudes towards urban greenery are changing. Last year alone, we removed around 5.5 million paving tiles. That’s what happens when you come together to bring nature back into the city.’ 

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Text: Margriet van der Zee
Photography: Wilke Geurds