Aanwaaiers: Catching Seeds in Schoolyards

By Mirre Sonders

The first edition of Aanwaaiers, a new citizen science project led by Utrecht University researcher Monique de Jager, shows how a simple experiment with plant pots and potting soil can teach children about nature while contributing to scientific research on seed dispersal. 

At the core of Aanwaaiers is a straightforward idea: using plant pots to catch seeds and see how seed dispersal, the movement of plant seeds, differs between locations. Children from fourteen elementary schools in the province of Utrecht placed pots filled with potting soil in their schoolyards and left them outside, waiting for plants to spontaneously appear. They looked after the pots, making sure they got enough water, and six weeks later the researchers counted how many plants had started to grow. By comparing pots from the inner city to more rural areas, the researchers could examine how urbanization affects seed dispersal. 

This kind of research is important because cities are growing rapidly. As they grow, cities can influence how ecosystems function. Roads and buildings can act as barriers, potentially making it harder for seeds to spread. Understanding if and how seeds move through these fragmented landscapes is important for protecting urban biodiversity. 

Even though the first results do not yet show clear effects of urbanisation on the number of plants that appeared, de Jager still considers the project a success so far: “We had a great start, with enthusiastic schools and a lot of useful insights into how we can improve the project”, she says.

And the enthusiasm of the schools was a big goal: the educational mission of the project was central from the beginning. De Jager, who has two young children, was inspired to create something that would connect children to nature, teach them about biodiversity, and let them experience science. Aanwaaiers was developed as a project that is easy for children to take part in but also contributes to real ecological research. The projects name, meaning things that blow in, just ‘blew into her mind,’ she adds. 

With the pilot completed, next year’s plans are taking shape. The project is expanding into a larger citizen science initiative, once again involving schools, but also inviting the wider public to participate. By collecting more data, the scientific question can be explored in more depth, but the educational mission remains central: spark even more people’s interest for nature and encourage them to see nature in places they might not expect it. 

“People often remove a plant as soon as it appears. They see them as unwanted weeds”, De Jager says. “But we want to motivate people to think: what is this plant, and how did it get here?”.

The most memorable moments so far? The reactions of the children. “Some thought it was boring because plants take a while to grow, while others were convinced the plants appeared by magic. Many of the children were fascinated by their plants. That mix of responses was a lot of fun to see.” 

If Aanwaaiers leaves one message behind, De Jager says, it is this: “Nature is everywhere, just let it come to you”.