LIFE Cricetus x Natuurpunt Tongeren-Borgloon(nl translation)(de translation)

Sarah Descamps, coördinator of the LIFE Cricetus project, had opportunity to present the project to the enthusiastic volunteers of Natuurpunt Tongeren-Borgloon. Their long-standing commitment to the local nature conservation created the perfect setting to discuss one of the core challenges of our project: the perceived contradiction between nature and farming.

In reality, the future of both is tightly connected.

The LIFE Cricetus project is built on the belief that we need to transition toward an agricultural landscape where nature and economic viability can reinforce one another. This is only possible through genuine collaboration and a shared understanding between sectors that have often worked in parallel rather than together.

A healthier landscape doesn’t only benefit the critically endangered European hamster, but also:
• pollinators,
• farmland birds,
• soil biodiversity,
• and ultimately the farmers themselves, by reducing dependence on chemical inputs and large agrifirms.

We are grateful for the warm welcome by Natuurpunt Tongeren-Borgloon and look forward to working together toward a landscape where wildlife and agriculture can thrive side by side.

More updates on LIFE Cricetus will follow soon.