Janneke Sindram - junior advisor

As you ascend the steep slope of the dike and the river landscape unfolds before you, it feels like coming home. Born close to the Waal River, I grew up along its riverbanks, wandering through the floodplains with my father, and observing nature. In '93 and '95, I stood on the Waalkade with the water reaching halfway up my bike - it was thrilling.

I've spent thousands of hours outdoors, and my love for nature runs deep. It is no wonder I chose to study biology, specializing in ecology and nature conservation at Wageningen University. But towards the end of that study, I began to feel restless. I also sought a different perspective, one that involved more connection between nature and society, so I studied environmental philosophy at Radboud University.

After graduating, I sought to bridge the gap between farmers and nature in the world of agricultural nature management. However, I missed working with the river and concepts of large, natural landscape systems. At Bureau Stroming, I once again focus on that perspective and work on projects that seek to connect people and nature, residents and farmers, landscape and water, varying in the environment from drainage ditches to deltas.