Nature Garden Lecture: Landscape Biography at the Library Forum
Dr. Patricia Franscoise-Braaksma will deliver the third Nature Garden Lecture on Wednesday evening, April 8, at the Zoetermeer Library (Forum branch). She will speak about landscape history, with a particular focus on the Green Heart, of which Zoetermeer is a part.
The Identity of the Landscape
A landscape biography describes the history and identity of a landscape. It is the sum of an area’s geology, the ways in which people have used it over the centuries and continue to use it today, and how people experience it. A landscape’s biography is constantly evolving and helps shape its future. This applies to the extent to which residents feel connected to the place where they live, as well as to nature conservation and nature development.
A landscape biography of Zoetermeer?
An interesting question is whether—and if so, why—a specific study of the Zoetermeer area could be valuable as a detailed examination of the Groene Hart region. That question will also be addressed. For example, does the study reveal where it is better to build—or not to build—based on the quality of the deep subsurface and land subsidence? And where, and what types of natural or semi-natural areas, hold the most promise for making an optimal contribution to biodiversity?
Speaker
Dr. P.J. (Patricia) Franscoise-Braaksma is Program Director at the Green Heart Coordination Office. She served on the advisory committee for the landscape biography *The Green Heart* (2023). She earned her Ph.D. in historical geography from Wageningen University.
Initiative and organization
This lecture is part of the second series of Nature Garden Lectures, organized by the Zoetermeer Nature and Landscape Garden in collaboration with the Zoetermeer Library.
Where and when
Date: April 8, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM, doors open at 7:45 PM
Location: Zoetermeer Library, Forum branch. Entrance: Stadhuisplein 1
Admission: Free
Registration: bibliotheek-zoetermeer.op-shop.nl/5533/lezingenreeks-natuurtuin/08-04-2026
Source: Zoetermeer Nature and Landscape Garden