There is no successful nature conservation without the participation of private landowners. Cooperation
among all stakeholders is key. That is why there is the LIFE European Network for Private Land
Conservation (LIFE ENPLC) project, which organizes training courses for landowners, community
members, and conservationists to learn from each other. These training courses illustrate how nature
conservation non-governmental organizations (NGOs), individual private landowners, and communities
can cooperate locally to protect nature.
Participants look at spring flowing into a river that occasionally threatens a private estate. Credit: Valérie Vandenabeele
On March 8, Natuurpunt hosted a wetlands-focused conservation training that convened an
international learning cohort in Aalst, Belgium. The training was the third in a series of classes led by
Eurosite and attracted 19 participants from Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Participants hailed
from diverse backgrounds, representing private landowners, nature specialists, governments, nature
NGOs, and businesspeople.
The training started with an introduction to wetland conservation projects where the involved
stakeholders shared their views with short presentations, opening the discussion to exchange ideas and
network during lunch. In the afternoon, the participants took a field trip to see the wetland in Aalst that is currently under construction. The site visit led to lively discussions and illustrated the need for
cooperation among a diverse set of actors to enable conservation and restoration projects.
Castle Schotte threatens to flood. Heavy pumps have to be used to remove the water. Credit:
Koen Baten
In this case, three main
players came together
to facilitate the
wetland restoration.
Conservationist
representatives from
Natuurpunt—which is
responsible for
implementing the
conservation measures
on the ground—
worked closely with a
landowner whose
castle was at risk of
flooding and a
community
representative from
the city of Aalst.
Each stakeholder has much to gain from the restoration. When finished, the project aims to prevent
flooding of the landowner’s land. The restored habitat will also provide a cooling effect and healthy air
for the city of Aalst and otherwise improve the local environment by delivering essential water retention
in hot summers; creating valuable habitats for local biodiversity; and, when successfully rewetted,
playing a crucial role in the community’s fight against climate warming.
The first two trainings in the series focused on pollinators in the Netherlands and Economic incentives
for private land conservation in Romania. The final course in this series will be hosted later this year in
partnership with the Nature Conservancy and will focus on fire management in Spain.
The training course started with a theoretical session in the morning.
