16-20 September 2007, New Forest, England

As part of the ECNC project LIFESCAPE – YOUR LANDSCAPE, members of the Dutch Agricultural Nature Conservation Association (ANCA) ‘De Maashorst’ visited National Park New Forest, a small but very diverse national park in South England. The ANCA formulated a future vision for the sustainable economic development of the area ‘De Maashorst’ in the Province of Noord-Brabant. In order to exchange knowledge and experience, ECNC and Bureau Ecoplan organized this fieldtrip to the very successful New Forest.

The Dutch delegation was informed about the development and management of the area. They learned a lot about grazing, initiatives and activities to stop dehydration and promote hydration, and experiences with regard to economic activities in and around the national park. Branding of the New Forest’s regional products and image plays an important role in this. Because ‘De Maashorst’ encounters some comparable challenges in its development, the excursion to England was very useful and the Dutch made some valuable contacts.

An overview of the project can be found here. For more information please contact Peter von Meijenfeldt.