Nieuws
Joining forces with farmers for the European hamster
At a recent info session for the LIFE Cricetus project in Tongeren-Borgloon, farmers, partners and local authorities can together to discuss how to protect the hamster in Flanders (Belgium).
Representatives of PXL BIO, Boerennatuur and Vlaamse Landmaatschappij (VLM) presented the project’s goals and first steps. They emphasised the project’s bottom-up approach and the ambition to give farmers a central role in shaping measures and policies.
Protecting the hamster not only benefits biodiversity, but also supports farmers by improving soil quality and reducing dependence on fertilisers. As an umbrella species, the presence of the hamster is an indicator of a healthy and diverse agricultural landscape.
The presentations led to an open and constructive discussion, with farmers sharing their experiences and exploring solutions, an encouraging sign for future cooperation.
Together, we can show that nature and agriculture truly go hand in hand.
LIFE Cricetus x Natuurpunt Tongeren-Borgloon
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.
Research and Conservation Symposium, GAIA ZOO
The Research and Conservation Symposium, hosted by GAIA-ZOO, brought together experts, researchers, and practitioners working across a variety of species and conservation challenges.
As part of the programme, our colleague Leona Milec (PXL Bio-Research, lead beneficiary of LIFE Cricetus) presented her work on parentage analysis of wild-caught common hamsters in Widooie.
This research is an important piece of the broader LIFE Cricetus project.
By understanding family relationships, genetic diversity, and dispersal patterns within the remaining wild population, we can better assess its long-term viability and make informed decisions on habitat management, release strategies, and population reinforcement.
A big thank-you to GAIA-ZOO for organizing a symposium that brought together such a wide range of conservation perspectives — and for providing a platform to highlight the work being done for the critically endangered common hamster within the LIFE Cricetus project.
Korenwolfavond
Protecting the European hamster (Cricetus cricetus) goes hand in hand with creating a healthy, diverse farmland environment not only for the hamster, but for many other farmland species that depend on it.
During the recent Korenwolfavond organised by Natuurrijk Limburg, partners, conservationists, and farmers came together to share the progress made in protecting the hamster in the Netherlands.
Natuurrijk Limburg has been working for years to improve the agricultural landscape and is also a proud partner in our LIFE Cricetus project, which started earlier this year.
The LIFE Cricetus project coordinator attended the event and presented the project’s goals and first steps. After some curiosity and questions, the farmers in attendance showed great engagement and interest, a promising sign for future collaboration!
Together, we can build a landscape where both nature and agriculture thrive.
LIFE Cricetus – Introduction
The 6,5 year LIFE Cricetus project aims to restore the severely declining and vulnerable populations of European hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. This mammal is highly dependent on the agricultural landscape and is the canary in the coal mine when it comes to the biological and biodiversity value of an area. Addressing this problem requires an integrated approach that combines a sustainable agricultural landscape with productive and profitable farming. Building support among both farmers and citizens, bringing together all professional organisations at home and abroad, and providing scientific evidence to underpin policy are also crucial factors.
Interested? Follow this page for more information and regular updates about this project.
Nieuws
Joining forces with farmers for the European hamster
At a recent info session for the LIFE Cricetus project in Tongeren-Borgloon, farmers, partners and local authorities can together to discuss how to protect the hamster in Flanders (Belgium).
Representatives of PXL BIO, Boerennatuur and Vlaamse Landmaatschappij (VLM) presented the project’s goals and first steps. They emphasised the project’s bottom-up approach and the ambition to give farmers a central role in shaping measures and policies.
Protecting the hamster not only benefits biodiversity, but also supports farmers by improving soil quality and reducing dependence on fertilisers. As an umbrella species, the presence of the hamster is an indicator of a healthy and diverse agricultural landscape.
The presentations led to an open and constructive discussion, with farmers sharing their experiences and exploring solutions, an encouraging sign for future cooperation.
Together, we can show that nature and agriculture truly go hand in hand.
LIFE Cricetus x Natuurpunt Tongeren-Borgloon
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.
Research and Conservation Symposium, GAIA ZOO
The Research and Conservation Symposium, hosted by GAIA-ZOO, brought together experts, researchers, and practitioners working across a variety of species and conservation challenges.
As part of the programme, our colleague Leona Milec (PXL Bio-Research, lead beneficiary of LIFE Cricetus) presented her work on parentage analysis of wild-caught common hamsters in Widooie.
This research is an important piece of the broader LIFE Cricetus project.
By understanding family relationships, genetic diversity, and dispersal patterns within the remaining wild population, we can better assess its long-term viability and make informed decisions on habitat management, release strategies, and population reinforcement.
A big thank-you to GAIA-ZOO for organizing a symposium that brought together such a wide range of conservation perspectives — and for providing a platform to highlight the work being done for the critically endangered common hamster within the LIFE Cricetus project.
Korenwolfavond
Protecting the European hamster (Cricetus cricetus) goes hand in hand with creating a healthy, diverse farmland environment not only for the hamster, but for many other farmland species that depend on it.
During the recent Korenwolfavond organised by Natuurrijk Limburg, partners, conservationists, and farmers came together to share the progress made in protecting the hamster in the Netherlands.
Natuurrijk Limburg has been working for years to improve the agricultural landscape and is also a proud partner in our LIFE Cricetus project, which started earlier this year.
The LIFE Cricetus project coordinator attended the event and presented the project’s goals and first steps. After some curiosity and questions, the farmers in attendance showed great engagement and interest, a promising sign for future collaboration!
Together, we can build a landscape where both nature and agriculture thrive.
LIFE Cricetus – Introduction
The 6,5 year LIFE Cricetus project aims to restore the severely declining and vulnerable populations of European hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. This mammal is highly dependent on the agricultural landscape and is the canary in the coal mine when it comes to the biological and biodiversity value of an area. Addressing this problem requires an integrated approach that combines a sustainable agricultural landscape with productive and profitable farming. Building support among both farmers and citizens, bringing together all professional organisations at home and abroad, and providing scientific evidence to underpin policy are also crucial factors.
Interested? Follow this page for more information and regular updates about this project.
