Natuurpunt starts the Educational Nature Management project now also in West Flanders

Pupils of the free primary school OLVC Vivenkapelle in Damme kick off the project. Together with nature guides from Natuurpunt, they set to work in a new nature reserve along the “Vulle Voart” in Damme. They carry out management work such as haymaking and removal of grass clippings.

Deputy for the environment, nature and landscape Jurgen Vanlerberghe (Vooruit) comes to help the students. “With this project, we bring children into close contact with their local nature in a completely unique way, they gain insight into the concept of biodiversity and they can get to work with the practice of species protection and nature management.”

Fun and discovery

Educational Nature Management will also be working in other areas in West Flanders in the coming years. All kinds of management work will be carried out: clearing grass clippings on wet plots, removing tree storage on heathland, planting new forests or chopping prunings or making a branch wall. “During the management not only a lot is done for the nature in question, the students also learn how to tackle a task efficiently, handle materials in a safe way, they learn about historical techniques, work together and respect each other’s boundaries and time is made for fun and discovery,” says Liesbet Cleynhens of Natuurpunt.

“Our ambition is to allow as many children as possible to experience at least one top experience in nature before their 12th birthday”, says Wim Slabbert, director of Natuurpunt Beheer.