Been busy? ‘Yes, you could say that. We can’t complain of a lack of attention. From the television companies we had visits from NOS news and Hart van Nederland, and then there were radio interviews with Business News Radio, 3FM and the youth channel FunX. As well as a lot of newspaper articles. I certainly didn’t get to hibernate this winter.’ FunX and 3FM? Strikes me as a strange platform for a biologist. ‘It’s not that unusual any more. I had previously been on a 3FM programme several times. You tend to get the same questions: ‘Has spring begun already?’ and ‘Is this climate change?’ Is all this attention good for the Nature Calendar? ‘Since the first of January forty new observers have signed up; that is quite a few. It is also nice for the volunteers to see that their observations are used. What is more, they get an explanation for things they noticed.’ What is it like to watch yourself? ‘Seeing the programme afterwards is always a bit nerve-racking. On TV you always wonder what they will have made of it.’
Busy winter
Who? Arnold van Vliet, researcher and the man behind the Nature CalendarWhat? Was repeatedly in the press this past monthWhy? Everybody wants to know what the mild winter means for nature
