Wageningen Environmental Research (also known as Alterra) is the Dutch research institute for our green living environment. We offer a combination of practical and scientific research in a multitude of disciplines related to the green world around us and the sustainable use of our living environment. Our expertise includes knowledge of water, nature, biodiversity, climate, landscape, forest, ecology, environment, soil, landscape and spatial planning, geo-information, remote sensing, flora and fauna, urban green, man and society etc.

Wageningen Environmental Research is part of Wageningen University & Research. In research and education we closely co-operate with the department of Environmental Sciences at Wageningen University & research. The exchange of expertise and capacity and the match between fundamental and practical research in various projects give us a scientific advantage.

Wageningen Environmental Research was established in the year 2000 after a merger of the DLO-Starting Centre and the Institute for Forest and Nature Research (Bos- en Natuuronderzoek (IBN)). The Stichting voor Bodemkartering (STIBOKA), Instituut for Cultuurtechniek en Waterhuishouding (ICW) as well as other research institutes also merged into the Research Institute of Wageningen Environmental Research.