Marjolein Pijnappels is the first Dutch futures ecologist. She holds a Master’s degree in marine ecology and interweaves the wisdom of nature with emerging technologies to reimagine our futures. As a speculative designer she creates future scenarios as entangled ecologies designed by and for humans, other-than-human species, and the non-living natural and artificial realm– each as an autonomous actor and valued participant. She is a member of the Critical Midwifery Studies Collective and initiated Birth Futures in 2022, a speculative program dedicated to reimagining birth care through innovative design and social dreaming. With researchers, midwives and mothers she weaves together perspectives on birth practices as ecologies of care. Marjolein’s method Futures Ecologies has been recognised in the Dutch national manual Futures Thinking by Rijksbouwmeester. As a fellow of the Next Nature Network in Eindhoven she redefines relationships between nature and technology.
