'Nature and agriculture go together brilliantly at Maasheggen'

Province of North Brabant's Seventh Nature Progress Report reveals that 2,850 hectares of new nature will be developed nationwide by 2020. That seems nicer than it is, concludes Province of North Brabant. "Despite the various design and management measures, the quality of nature in Brabant in general is not yet doing well either. But despite this, a number of nice projects have been started and implemented in 2020."

Some of these projects are explained in a digital edition of Province of North Brabant entirely dedicated to the Seventh Progress Report on Nature. Like the cooperation of farmer Rob Wientjes(right in photo), landowner Ruth Bakkenes(left in photo) and foundation Landschapsbeheer Boxmeer in the UNESCO-area De Maasheggen. Together they own and manage fifteen hectares of land. 'We are trying to show that if you can find each other you can also strengthen each other'.

Rob Christiaans - project leader on behalf of the province of North Brabant and member of the program team Maasheggen UNESCO - brought the parties together: 'The secret of the success of the Maasheggen project is that the talk was not about a farmer, but with him. Rob and Ruth were already working partly together, because Ruth had part of his land mowed by Rob. I suggested that a more intensive cooperation could be interesting for both parties."
The result of the cooperation is quite remarkable, according to all involved: "Five years ago this was an almost bare plain, now it is a beautiful combination of grassland and high hedges with ecologically rich edges. Nature and agriculture go together magnificently.

How the collaboration came about and what it achieved for all parties involved is described in detail in an interview in the digital magazine.