Interview: "Technology can help us appreciate nature"

‍Editor’s note: This article was originally published in De Ingenieur in January 2025. This version has been translated into English.‍

Nadina Galle, an ecological engineer, develops technologies that enhance the connection between people and nature. In September 2024, her book The Nature of Our Cities was published in Dutch as De natuur van onze steden.‍

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“We were on a hike in Canada, where I grew up. My little sister was on my father’s shoulders, and I was walking ahead of them. Suddenly, he hissed, ‘Nadina, stop!’ I turned around. On one side of the trail was a huge bear, and on the other side, two cubs. Encounters like that with nature are formative.

As a child, I was always outside. Without realizing it, I was already immersed in ecology. My parents emphasized: find your passion. Choose what you enjoy, become an expert, and follow your path—whether that’s as a hairdresser or a researcher. I initially chose to study journalism, but I ended up on the waitlist. My second love was nature, so I switched to biology. That’s when I first learned about ecology, and I knew: this is it. Now, as an ecological engineer, I focus on the intersections of technology, people, and nature—with the city as humanity’s ultimate ecosystem.

After my PhD, I had the opportunity to become a postdoctoral researcher at MIT in Cambridge, near Boston. But then the pandemic hit, and everything moved online. That wasn’t what I wanted. I became a scientist for the colleagues at the university, the interdisciplinarity, and the interaction.

In the meantime, the concept of the Internet of Nature, which I developed during my PhD, was gaining traction. After an article in National Geographic, I received so many requests for lectures, workshops, and interviews that I thought: I can make a living from this too.

I loved school. I enjoy learning and was a dedicated student. In Toronto, that’s more common than it is here. When it’s balanced, ambition and perseverance can lead to wonderful things. And as long as you take steps every day, you’ll always end up somewhere. Five years ago, I came up with the term Internet of Nature for a TED Talk, and now it’s the central concept of my book.

Dream for the Future

‍I see myself as a bridge between ecology and technology—a translator. I’ve worked with many types of technology, from soil moisture sensors to GIS and lidar. I contributed to an app that tracks when someone is in a green space and to an algorithm that extracts what people value in parks from reviews. Only when you truly understand a technology can you see its value and limitations. That’s important to me—that’s my job.

Many people think I’m a techno-optimist, but I don’t believe technology can solve everything. I do believe it can help us better understand and appreciate nature in the city. My dream for the future is that everyone on Earth, especially in cities, integrates nature into their daily lives. That if you don’t go outside for a day, you feel like something is missing. Like forgetting to brush your teeth.

People spend 93% of their lives indoors. Those who spend more time outside notice when there’s little greenery in their neighborhood. They might team up with neighbors to green rooftops or plant façade gardens. That works better than just talking about large-scale sustainability projects—or focusing only on not flying or not eating meat. That tunnel vision on CO2 is such a negative, guilt-inducing way of looking at things!

When people take action in their own environment, they’re engaging with ecology, but also, without realizing it, with mental and physical health, longevity, community connection, air quality, and climate adaptation. I believe that’s how you reach more people.”