Raf De Bont 🟥
@rafdebont.bsky.social
Historian of science and the environment // Late adopter & cautious adventurer // Interested in 19th, 20th and 21st century natures // Author of Stations in the Field and Nature's Diplomats // https://moving-animals.nl
All this in the slightly intimidating decor of the royal palace.
November 26, 2025 at 8:40 AM
All this in the slightly intimidating decor of the royal palace.
You can probably blame the Dutch royals for lots of things, but not for their choice in Erasmus Prize winners. Hooray for Donna Haraway!
November 25, 2025 at 5:26 PM
You can probably blame the Dutch royals for lots of things, but not for their choice in Erasmus Prize winners. Hooray for Donna Haraway!
Pre-discussing the Dutch elections @fasosmaastricht.bsky.social
October 29, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Pre-discussing the Dutch elections @fasosmaastricht.bsky.social
@fasosmaastricht.bsky.social is mooi vertegenwoordigd op het Weekend van de Wetenschap!
October 4, 2025 at 12:01 PM
@fasosmaastricht.bsky.social is mooi vertegenwoordigd op het Weekend van de Wetenschap!
My neighbors' red maple. Although considered highly adaptable, this one individual has been suffering under increasingly hot and dry summers. Still, every October, it is my favorite non-native species.
October 2, 2025 at 10:52 AM
My neighbors' red maple. Although considered highly adaptable, this one individual has been suffering under increasingly hot and dry summers. Still, every October, it is my favorite non-native species.
With some scary taxidermy during the lunch break.
September 20, 2025 at 8:43 AM
With some scary taxidermy during the lunch break.
On my way back from the "Planetary Futures" conference in Manchester, organized by @sadiahqureshi.bsky.social and @duncanwilson78.bsky.social
Two days of vibrant discussions on how the humanities can help us understand extinction.
Two days of vibrant discussions on how the humanities can help us understand extinction.
September 20, 2025 at 8:39 AM
On my way back from the "Planetary Futures" conference in Manchester, organized by @sadiahqureshi.bsky.social and @duncanwilson78.bsky.social
Two days of vibrant discussions on how the humanities can help us understand extinction.
Two days of vibrant discussions on how the humanities can help us understand extinction.
Impressions from #eseh2025: a speech by Linnaeus himself, grandiose academic architecture and a quaint natural history museum. But, above all, wonderfully engaging panels and workshops. And, abover all, catching up with old and new friends. Many thanks to the organizers!
August 22, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Impressions from #eseh2025: a speech by Linnaeus himself, grandiose academic architecture and a quaint natural history museum. But, above all, wonderfully engaging panels and workshops. And, abover all, catching up with old and new friends. Many thanks to the organizers!
The imagined student-professor relationship at Basel university looks rather, uh, Leninist.
July 5, 2025 at 8:30 AM
The imagined student-professor relationship at Basel university looks rather, uh, Leninist.
New article in Osiris, entitled 'Flying Rhinos', in which I follow two northern white rhinoceroses to discuss the entanglement of mid-twentieth century zoo conservation, colonialism and celebrity culture: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
June 13, 2025 at 7:30 AM
New article in Osiris, entitled 'Flying Rhinos', in which I follow two northern white rhinoceroses to discuss the entanglement of mid-twentieth century zoo conservation, colonialism and celebrity culture: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
And the evening, still in Maastricht, at the book presentation of (former improv pal) Lucas De Man - one of the most engaging public speakers I know.
May 15, 2025 at 7:07 PM
And the evening, still in Maastricht, at the book presentation of (former improv pal) Lucas De Man - one of the most engaging public speakers I know.
The afternoon back in Maastricht, where FASoS hosted the launch of the CEEhub - our UM beehive for research, education and outreach on Central an Eastern Europe.
May 15, 2025 at 4:51 PM
The afternoon back in Maastricht, where FASoS hosted the launch of the CEEhub - our UM beehive for research, education and outreach on Central an Eastern Europe.
Spent the morning in Heerlen at Studio Europa's presentation of a new policy brief on the Digital Services Act. Interesting (and sometimes) sharp discussions on an important topic.
May 15, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Spent the morning in Heerlen at Studio Europa's presentation of a new policy brief on the Digital Services Act. Interesting (and sometimes) sharp discussions on an important topic.
To put this a bit in historical perspective:
(From: www.migrationpolicy.org/article/rapi...)
(From: www.migrationpolicy.org/article/rapi...)
April 28, 2025 at 4:17 PM
To put this a bit in historical perspective:
(From: www.migrationpolicy.org/article/rapi...)
(From: www.migrationpolicy.org/article/rapi...)
Animal representations at the car mechanic: toy beech martens selling ultrasound devices.
April 5, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Animal representations at the car mechanic: toy beech martens selling ultrasound devices.
Mooie presentatie van het landschapsboek 'De Maas in Limburg' onder redactie van collega's Nico Randeraad en Pieter Caljé
April 4, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Mooie presentatie van het landschapsboek 'De Maas in Limburg' onder redactie van collega's Nico Randeraad en Pieter Caljé
Intussen op de steppes van Glysofatië
March 30, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Intussen op de steppes van Glysofatië
My own paper discussed charismatic minifauna and agricultural natures, focusing on the reintroduction of European hamsters. The museum turned out to have a (not so charismatic-looking) pickled individual of the species.
March 21, 2025 at 1:20 PM
My own paper discussed charismatic minifauna and agricultural natures, focusing on the reintroduction of European hamsters. The museum turned out to have a (not so charismatic-looking) pickled individual of the species.
The horns of the local northern white rhino were stolen from the museum, but they had been replaced by plastic ones before the theft. Indoor poaching and plastic horn trafficking concerning African animals in German museums. I don't quiet know what to think of it.
March 19, 2025 at 9:55 PM
The horns of the local northern white rhino were stolen from the museum, but they had been replaced by plastic ones before the theft. Indoor poaching and plastic horn trafficking concerning African animals in German museums. I don't quiet know what to think of it.
The rewilding conference at Museum Koenig comes with an indoor taxidermic savannah for the coffee breaks.
March 19, 2025 at 9:40 PM
The rewilding conference at Museum Koenig comes with an indoor taxidermic savannah for the coffee breaks.
Setting up camp at my usual railway stranding place (Liège-Guillemins). The train delays give me some extra time to anticipate what looks like a wonderfully interdisciplinary conference: Rewilding in Europe, at Museum Koenig, Bonn.
March 19, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Setting up camp at my usual railway stranding place (Liège-Guillemins). The train delays give me some extra time to anticipate what looks like a wonderfully interdisciplinary conference: Rewilding in Europe, at Museum Koenig, Bonn.
If I get there, that is:
March 19, 2025 at 8:10 AM
If I get there, that is:
De Randstad - altijd even wennen als je uit het landelijke zuiden komt.
February 17, 2025 at 4:09 PM
De Randstad - altijd even wennen als je uit het landelijke zuiden komt.