Understanding experts and expertise in different governance contexts Understanding experts and expertise in different Uitnodiging Understanding voor het bijwonen van de verdediging van mijn proefschrift: Understanding experts and experts expertise in different The case of nature conservation governance contexts The case of nature conservation in the in the Drentsche Aa area Drentsche Aa area in the Netherlands in the Netherlands and op vrijdag 14 November 2008 om 13.30 uur in de Aula van Wageningen Universiteit Generaal Foulkesweg 1a Wageningen expertise Na afloop is er een receptie en aansluitend een feest in ‘De International Club’ in different Marijkeweg 31 Wageningen Séverine van Bommel Prof. Cobbenhagenlaan 564 5037 DL Tilburg governance 013-4688070 contexts [email protected] Paranimfen Séverine van Bommel Ramona van Marwijk t06-43558755 [email protected] Charlotte Benneker Séverine van Bommel 06-52205784 [email protected] Understanding experts and expertise in different governance contexts The case of nature conservation in the Drentsche Aa area in the Netherlands Séverine van Bommel VAN BOMMEL DUBBEL DEF.indd 1 29-10-2008 10:50:52 Promoter Prof. N.G. Roling, Persoonlijk Hoogleraar Agricultural Knowledge Systems in Developing Countries Co-promoters Dr. M.N.C. Aarts, universitair hoofddocent, Sectie Communicatiewetenschap, Wageningen Universiteit Dr. E. Turnhout, universitair hoofddocent, Leerstoelgroep Bos- en natuurbeleid, Wageningen Universiteit Reading Committee Prof. J. Ravetz (Oxford University) Prof. D. Yanow (Free University of Amsterdam) Prof. C.J.A.M. Termeer (Wageningen University) Dr. M.C.H. Wagemans (InnovatieNetwerk) Dit onderzoek is uitgevoerd binnen de onderzoekschool CERES VAN BOMMEL DUBBEL DEF.indd 2 29-10-2008 10:50:52 Understanding experts and expertise in different governance contexts The case of nature conservation in the Drentsche Aa area in the Netherlands Séverine van Bommel Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor op gezag van de rector magnificus van Wageningen Universiteit, Prof. Dr. M.J. Kropff, in het openbaar te verdedigen op vrijdag 14 November 2008 des namiddags om half twee in de Aula VAN BOMMEL DUBBEL DEF.indd 3 29-10-2008 10:50:52 Van Bommel, Séverine Understanding experts and expertise in different governance contexts The case of nature conservation in the Drentsche Aa area in the Netherlands PhD-thesis, Wageningen University ISBN: 978-90-5852-07-0 Photo cover: Painting ‘Drentse Aa bij Westlaren (Zwienmaat)’ by Berend Groen (used with permission) Design: Luc Dinnissen (www.studiods.nl) 5 VAN BOMMEL DUBBEL DEF.indd 4 29-10-2008 10:50:52 Professor, wilt u in het kort uw mening over dit boek geven? Praw! Fijn, dat het bij u zo overkomt. Wat denkt u van de vreemde verschijnselen, die er in beschreven worden, weet u wel? Als wetenschappelijker denk ik eerst wanneer een duchtiger onderzoeking aangevangen geworden is geweest. Heel fijn, professor. U bent dus, net als wij, gegrepen door de onverklaarbare toestanden die hierin overkomen, dacht ik. Wat is uw mening daar dus over? Leest u mijn boeklein ‘Der Zijn-fenomeen der niet-existerende daadzaken in der licht des wetenschapbestands’ bid ik u. Ja, beslist, ja. Maar kunt u even kort samenvatten wat u dus van dit boek vindt? Volstandiger wederzin. Heel fijn, professor, héél fijn. Bedankt voor uw warme aanbe- veling, weet u wel? Der goede dag. Uit een telefoongesprek met prof. dr. Prlwytzkofski te Rommeldam (Toonder, 1972) Professor, could you please briefly tell us what you think of this book? Praw! Good, I’m happy that it gives you that impression. What do you think about the strange pheno- mena described in the book, you know? As a scientist I only start thinking once serious investigation has been initiated. Very good professor. So, like us, you are intrigued by the unexplainable situations that occur in the book. So what do you think about those? Pray, read my little booklet ‘The Existence-phenomenon of the non-existing things, seen in the light of the state of the art’. Yes, sure, of course. But could you shortly summarise what your opinion of this book is? Sufficient reluctance. That’s great professor, real great. ‘You know? Thank you for this warm recommendation.’ Nice day. Excerpt from a telephone-conversation with Prof. Dr. Prlwytzkofski in Rommeldam (Toonder, 1972). 5 VAN BOMMEL DUBBEL DEF.indd 5 29-10-2008 10:50:52 7 VAN BOMMEL DUBBEL DEF.indd 6 29-10-2008 10:50:52 Preface and acknowledgements As a child there was one thing that I was sure I did not want to become when growing up and that was a ‘researcher’. I hated the expe- riments during physics and chemistry classes that I associated being a researcher with. That all changed when I entered university in 1996 and met Prof. Niels Röling. He introduced me to a completely diffe- rent kind of research, not the world of experiments and ‘hard’ science but the world of interpretations and ‘soft’ science. One thing led to the other and after finishing my MSc I decided to write a PhD dissertation. Both Prof. Niels Röling and Prof. Heiner Schanz were enthousiastic and decided to support me. As I did not have any external financing for my project, I decided to take on dif- ferent jobs in order to pay for my PhD. Most jobs were provided to me by the Communication Studies Group (COM), the Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group (FNP) and the Environmental Assessment Agency (MNP). When there were no jobs with Wageningen Univer- sity, I made a living supervising kids during their lunch break at the Piekschool primary school in Wageningen and/ or as an assistant of the Dutch Electro Hypersensitivity Foundation. To my supervisors I extend my sincere gratitude for sticking with me over the years in this uncertain situation. When Heiner Schanz left FNP, my supervision was taken over by Esther Turnhout. At about the same time, also Noelle Aarts joined the team. Niels Röling has always been a stable factor, providing me with a vision and inspiration for my work and an outlook in life. He always kept believing in me even at moments when I did not believe in myself anymore. A special thanks also goes to Janice Jiggins, who with Niels, was always there for inspiring scientific discussions and support. Noelle Aarts and Esther Turnhout kept asking for precision and clarity about what I was actu- ally saying and writing. This helped me to develop my thoughts and focus my work. Because I regard this dissertation as a coproduction of knowledge of me and my supervisors, I refer to ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ in the following chapters. My PhD enabled me to work with two exceptional chairgroup where I met some extraordinary people. I would like to thank Prof. Bas Arts, Prof. Cees Leeuwis and Prof. Cees van Woerkum for supporting me in many ways over the years. I am also indebted to Freerk Wiersum for formalising my supervision and my membership of the CERES research school. I am very grateful to Barbara Kolijn, Pia Holleman, 7 VAN BOMMEL DUBBEL DEF.indd 7 29-10-2008 10:50:52 Willeke Huijer, Carla van Zwaaij, Joke Janssen, Maarit Junnikkala, Sjoukje Atema, Mirjam Cevat and Sylvia Holvast who assisted me in arranging various aspects regarding my PhD. During my time at FNP, it was very nice to share an office with Tesfaye Abebe, Charlotte Ben- neker, Ramona van Marwijk, Rikke Arnouts, Emanuel Marfo, Goretti Nabanoga, Michelle Cocks, Jim van Laar, Yurdi Yasmi, Retno Maryani and Marleen Buizer. All other colleagues are equally acknowledged for their friendship and the great discussions we had together, inclu- ding Jessica de Koning, Marielle van der Zouwen, Birgit Elands, Arjen Buijs, Marjanke Hoogstra, Evelien Verbij, Innocent Babili, Josiah Katani, Purabi Bose, Jelle Behagel, Latifou Idrissou, Maartje van Lies- hout, and Hetty van der Stoep. I would like to thank FNP and COM for providing a ‘backpack’ which allowed me to draw up a Training and Supervision Plan and follow va- rious interesting PhD courses. I am also grateful for the support of the Catherine van Tussenbroek Fonds and the Stichting LEB Fonds that allowed me to attend international seminars and present my prelimi- nary results to an international audience and receive their feedback. In February 2008 my career changed when I started to work for Alt- erra. I would like to thank Alterra for giving me the time to finalise my PhD thesis. At Alterra, I would especially like to thank Froukje Boon- stra, Wiebren Kuindersma and Sara de Boer, my direct team members, for supporting me and listening to my endless PhD stories. In relation to the finalisation of the dissertation, I would also like to thank Catherine O’Dea and Hilda van Tilborg for making my PhD thesis accessible in terms of English and Dutch language, and Luc Dinnissen for making it accessible in terms of layout. I would also like to thank Mrs Groen for giving me permission to use an illustration of the painting of Berend Groen as a cover of the book. Berend Groen was the son-in-law of Harry de Vroome (one of the founders of the Drentsche Aa nature reserve, see chapter 4). I am equally grateful to the NBEL for giving me permission to use their map as an illustration. I would also like to thank Edgar Stapelveld and Chris Blackmore for their photographs. I am also grateful to the Toonder Copyright Foun- datioun for allowing me to use Marten Toonder quotes. Marten Toon- der was a Dutch cartoonist whose Heer Bommel series ran in newspa- pers for nearly 45 years, and were re-run in some Dutch newspapers well into the 1990s. In his stories Sir Bommel is a bear of nobility who enjoys the finer things in life.