On our last day in the Netherlands, we visited the national seat of government, the Hague. This city has served as the administrative center since the 13th century, containing the Prime minister’s office, the Supreme court, and the King’s working palace. The Hague was chosen to be the political city of the Netherlands because of…
Author: hak349
The Netherlands’ fight against water
Today we started by visiting the Dakakker, a farm located on an urban rooftop. This farm was made to manage rainwater by capturing it through the soil and releasing it with smart sensors. This system works by tracking the weather and emptying stored water before heavy rainfall comes. This prevents the sewer system from being…
The greatness of Delta Works and bread!
Today we took a private transfer to Delta Works! We specifically got to see the storm surge barrier (oosterscheldekering), but dams and dykes are also surrounding the Netherlands. The Oosterscheldekering consists of 62 steel gates that remain open until the water level is forecasted to be 3 meters above the Normal Amsterdam Level. The gates…
Farm life to Marine life innovation
Today, we visited a floating farm! This included cows, micro greens, and cheese processors. This farm was put on the ocean to allow easy access to food products for places that had just gone through a natural disaster. This reduces carbon emissions from transportation while providing more safety to the surrounding areas. Although there is…
Wish I could spend Twente more days here!
Today we arrived in Enschede! We first started by taking a tour of the University of Twente. It was interesting to see the architecture of the housing, educational buildings, and statues. Compared to Pitt, these structures were more modern and similar-styled. I also noticed they have more water fountains outside because they have filtering systems…
Detour to the bicycle capital of Germany
Today, we visited Münster, Germany! Here, we got a short history tour and free time in the city. When looking into the sustainability of Munster, I found that 35-40% of travel is by bicycle. This is important as bikes require minimal resources to make. Using less resources results in less waste over time. This corresponds…
Our last day in Enschede: water management, markets, and festivals!
We first started by having a city tour of Enschede. We learned that they strive to prevent flooding by creating shallow dips in the ground that are covered with green space. These areas capture the water runoff because they sit at a lower elevation. The water can then be stored in the soil for the…
Exploring the ranges of the Netherlands history
Today we started off by visiting Zanndjik Zaanse Schans, an older town in the Netherlands country side. This contained a cheese and clog shop, a petting area for sheep, and old styled windmills that had been preserved. These windmills are symbols for sustainability providing renewable energy that produces resources like wood, oil, and textiles to…
Blown away by the Netherlands!
Today we started off by attending a wind energy lecture. We learned about drag turbines and lift turbines equations and concepts in a class room setting. The professor also brought up the fact that nonrenewable energy can contribute to war as places with stored fossil fuels have been getting bombed. I thought this concept was…
Visiting the Tuliplands
Today we first went to a tulip farm. It was very cool to see all the different kinds of tulips they had as well as the process of farming them. Something interesting we learned is that went they are fully grown, they cut the flower off the tulips to preserve the energy of the bulb….
Amazing Race: Netherlands
Today we started by having breakfast in our hotel! Something that shocked me was the portion size of the food. They had mini pancakes, small rolls of bread, and slices of meats and cheeses. Of course you could get as much as you want, but it was quite different to our big waffle machines. After…
Landing in the Netherlands
Today we arrived in the Netherlands (at 5:16 A.M)!! Immediately I was shocked by how walkable everything was. This was crazy to see especially because the U.S requires transportation vehicles. This ability to walk around allowed us to check out many different food places, museums, and shops in just an hour. Later on in the…
Preparing for the Netherlands
Hi, my name is Hayleigh Klan, and I am a first-year Civil Engineering student going on the Netherlands trip! I love to crochet, draw, and paint, but I am also learning how to knit and play the electric guitar. I am currently in the symphonic band here at Pitt and I previously did the marching…