Henderika Maria (Rie) de Boois (

Zierikzee Zierikzee () is a small city in the southwest Netherlands, 50 km southwest of Rotterdam. It is situated in the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, Zeeland. The city hall of Schouwen-Duiveland is located in Zierikzee, its largest city. Zierikze ...

, 4 June 1936 – Kerk-Avezaath, 16 November 2010) was a Dutch politician and biologist. She was a member of the

house of representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

from 1972 until 1987 for the Labour Party.

Early life and science

De Boois was the eldest of 6 children. She studied biology at

Utrecht University Utrecht University (UU; , formerly ''Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht'') is a public university, public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Established , it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. In 2023, it had an enrollment of ...

until 1962. She became a teacher at the Dutch National Institute for Nature Conservation after finishing her degree. She later graduated from the same university with a PhD in 1976, with her thesis titled ''Schimmelgroei in strooisellagen van enkele bosgronden'' (English: Grow of fungi in the litterfall of forests).

Political career

De Boois was a member of the

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...

Arnhem Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...

from 1966 until 1974. De Boois was mainly involved in environmental matters. She fought for protection of the

Wadden Sea The Wadden Sea ( ; ; or ; ; ; ) is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of low-lying Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tida ...

, was a proponent of increased Dutch involvement in Antarctic research and advocated for better forest management. In 1976 she tried to abolish the use of driving in the hunt of wild boars. However, she faced resistance from members of the royal family and other people of nobility. The law would not come into effect until 2002. She was named 'Animal Protector of the Year' in 1986 for her work in animal conservation. De Boois left the house of representatives in 1987. She became chairwoman of a

water board A water board is a regional or national organisation that has very different functions from one country to another. The functions range from flood control and water resources management at the regional or local level (the Netherlands, Germany), ...

in charge of water quality in the

Gooi The Gooi ( ) is an area around Hilversum, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a slightly hilly area characterised by its green landscape, its historical charm, the wealth of its inhabitants and its villas. The Gooi is known in the country a ...

Amstel The Amstel () is a river in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. It flows from the Aarkanaal and Drecht in Nieuwveen northwards, passing Uithoorn, Amstelveen, and Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, to the IJ in Amsterdam, to which the rive ...

and Vecht. She was the chairwomen of the Dutch Society for the Protection of Birds from 1996 until 2004. Part of her inheritance was used to start the Rie de Boois-fund, which the Dutch Mammal Society use to fund research by volunteers.

Personal life

In 1964 De Boois married Karel Nagel, himself a politician for the Labour Party and environmentalist. Their marriage ended in 1973. She later married Pierre Janssen, an art connoisseur. De Boois was a vegetarian.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boois, Rie de Dutch biologists 20th-century Dutch women politicians 20th-century Dutch politicians Labour Party (Netherlands) MPs Dutch conservationists 1936 births 2010 deaths