Nowhere do plants and animals evolve as rapidly as they do in cities. Urban ecosystems adapt at remarkable speed to environments shaped by humans. In this lecture, inspired by his book Darwin Comes to Town, ecologist and evolutionary biologist Menno Schilthuizen outlines a vision of future urban ecosystem, home to its own, unique community of species that have specifically adapted to city life.

Drawing on numerous examples from urban nature, Schilthuizen illustrates why this development is biologically fascinating and how it offers new perspectives on the relationship between humans and their environment. You are warmly invited to continue the conversation over a drink afterwards.

Menno Schilthuizen is an ecologist and evolutionary biologist. He works as a researcher at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden and as a professor at Leiden University. He is also internationally active as a popular-science writer and speaker, and he organizes biodiversity surveys for the general public through the Taxon Foundation and the “scientific travel agency” Taxon Expeditions.

More information on www.schilthuizen.com

The event is free to attend, but we kindly ask you to register beforehand. The lecture will be in English.