From an early age, Jeffrey had a passion for nature and photography. Growing up, he spent a lot of time in the forests of the Veluwe and always took a camera with him. Read below about how Jeffrey's fascination with birds started, his thoughts about quitting during his studies, his collaboration on a cinema film, and his new project that receives financial support from the KLV Fund.

Studying Forest and Nature Conservation was an obivous choise

Jeffrey: "Birds and insects played an important role throughout my childhood. I had an endless fascination with anything that had six legs or could fly. The nature guides at our house also played a big role in this. They opened my eyes as a child. I could recognize species, read where they occur, and learned about their behavior. My interest kept growing, and gradually my focus turned to birds rather than insects.

When I bought a telescope, a new world opened up to me. Suddenly I could distinguish the characteristics of birds like goldeneyes, great warblers, goldfinches and red-necked geese much better. I started photographing and later filming my experiences. That's basically how I became a nature photographer and nature filmmaker. It started as a hobby but became more and more serious. I then chose to study Forest and Nature Conservation at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) because it best matched my interests. The study was of great importance for my passion: nature filming.

Enjoyed study time

I enjoyed my time studying in Wageningen. I could surround myself with like-minded people—fellow students who were just as crazy about plants, insects, birds, and other animals as I was. We encouraged each other. Because of them, I learned even more about birds and insects. If we felt that the study was not focused enough on nature, we would go out for hours to spot wild boar near Ede, for instance.

At the Sylvatica study association, they offered a range of activities that allowed us to learn even more. Interesting excursions were part of the Forest and Nature Conservation programme. We would go out for practical education and could see and experience on location how theory was applied in practice. That deepening always worked very motivating for me. Not a day went by without action, and I obtained my bachelor's degree in 2018.

Tips for students: Keep doing what you really like in your studies and specialize in it. The more time and energy you put into your specialization (and passion), the further you can eventually get in the work field.

Support from WUR in combining study and work

During my studies, I got the opportunity to work as an assistant on the cinema film 'Wild op de Veluwe' with Luc Enting. That was a great opportunity to experience what was involved in making a professional nature film. There, I worked with Dick Harrewijn, also a cameraman, who I still work with today.

During that busy period, I thought about quitting my study. WUR was actively involved in considering whether and how I could temporarily stop my studies and resume them efficiently. That advice and choice worked out well for me. I then assisted with the cinema film about the Veluwe and received a nature photography grant from National Geographic, allowing me to work on a story under supervision for a year. Even then, I got support from WUR, which helped me make the right choices. That was cool and ultimately helped me enormously in my current career.

The knowledge from my studies and the network I gradually built up during that time provided me with more insight into nature during filming. This makes it easier for me to find suitable locations, know where to find the right knowledge, and better understand where to look to find my subjects. Ultimately, those aspects are very valuable for making more efficient images.

New film: 'Birds you can't milk'

In the first year of my studies, I was introduced to the issues surrounding grasslands birds in the Netherlands. One of the grasslands birds, the godwit, was in the spotlight each time during the rest of the study period and not much later, the godwit (Limosa limosa) was declared our national bird.

Years later, in 2022, I was asked to collaborate on a film about a Frisian grassland bird farmer, Bote de Boer, who is very active in conserving grassland birds on his farmer’s land. He owns quite a few acres of land where the godwit, redshank, oystercatcher, and lapwing are still thriving. These birds depend on extensive grassland full of herbs for their reproduction and food.

Together with Roel van 't Hoff (Director of Photography) and Barbara Makkinga (Director), I collaborated on the cinema film 'Birds You Can't Milk'. My role was as a nature filmmaker, and I spent many hours on Bote's land filming godwits to capture everything about the life and behavior of these grassland birds. In contrast, Barbara and Roel provided a special insight into the life of the grassland bird farmer and his family. They showed the tension between nature conservation and the price paid for it—whether to prioritize the preservation of the godwit or focus fully on milk production.

The film is currently running in the north of the Netherlands and will be televised by Human in autumn 2024. We are proud that the film received a 'crystal film,' a Dutch film award, for a film, which manages to reach the attendance number of 10,000 during its shooting days in the cinema.

Bote and his wife Astrid de Boer, by the way, received the Golden Godwit from Bird Protection Organisation Nederland in 2023.

Hobby and plans for the future

In 2020, my friend Noortje and I converted a van into a full-fledged campervan. With this campervan, we like to go out on weekends to photograph. And in addition to my work as a nature filmmaker and photographer, I love to boulder (a part of the climbing sports), maintain my vegetable garden and greenhouse, and enjoy travelling in the mountains.

I am currently working on a project film on the oak processionary caterpillar for which I received financial support from the KLV Fund. The submission and granting went smoothly. The curatorium was immediately enthusiastic and curious about where the film would be screened. This is how I stay connected to Wageningen even after graduation.

In the future, I want to keep focusing on the field of tension between man and nature as in the film ‘Vogels kun je niet melken’ where two icons of the Dutch landscape take centre stage: the godwit and the dairy farmer. I would also like to reflect that theme in my next projects, such as a film on regenerative agriculture and on nature in the Italian Alps. Furthermore I am in the process of setting up a project on organic horticulture De Ommuurde Tuin, located on the Oranje nassau's Oord estate betwee Renkum and Wageningen.

Proud Wageninger

Wageningen will always be an important part of my life. I look back with pleasure on my time as a student in which I was able to regularly count on support from my university and in which my view of nature was shaped."