News
2016-10-05
InterLIFE Benelux 2016 in Poix-Saint-Hubert
Once a year, ongoing LIFE projects of Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Germany come together for two days of colloquium. The aim of these meetings is to share experiences on the management of a LIFE project on technical aspects of ecological engineering, on land management and on administrative aspects.
The LIFE Elia-RTE has been entrusted with the organization of this InterLIFE Benelux in 2016, on the theme of ecological connectivity.
63 participants for two days of conferences and field visits
A total of 24 LIFE projects were attending the event in Poix-Saint-Hubert, in the Walloon Region. Representatives of the European Commission, the Public Service of Wallonia, universities and Neemo, the external office responsible for monitoring LIFE projects, were also present.
On the 5th of October (see the program to be downloaded below), the morning was dedicated to various talks on specific themes such as communication to bring together local actors around a common project, infrastructures for crossing roads by game, the master restoration plan of the peatlands in Wallonia, the restoration of watercourses in Luxembourg, the restoration of transboundary natural habitats or the reinforcement of the ecological network in peri-urban areas. The LIFE Elia-RTE presented the project and more specifically the search for win-win partnerships under high-voltage lines.
After a typical Walloon lunch, the field visit was dedicated to the LIFE Elia-RTE under the high-voltage lines in Tenneville and Nassogne, and to the various actions of former LIFE Saint-Hubert.
On 6 October, the morning was again devoted to presentations on the following subjects: presentation of the actions of the Belgian Integrated LIFE project, restoration of natural habitats in a quarrying environment, actions to reconnect populations of Crested newts, and restoration of Polders habitats on the Belgian coast. Two roundtables allowed participants to discuss two themes: ecological connectivity and biological indicators.
The afternoon was spent visiting the LIFE Elia-RTE sites of Winenne and Pondrôme, where natural habitats of moors and limestone lawns were restored on public and private land. Some ponds have also been dug, and plantations of junipers have been made.
Two valuable days in terms of exchanges and sharing on what constitutes the reality of all the technical, human and financial dimensions of a LIFE project.