Lecture on De Brenne at IVN Laarbeek

Geert Engels holds a lecture in the IVN building De Bimd about Nature Park de Brenne in France. Natuurpark de Brenne in France is a nature reserve with Natura2000 and Rhamsar international status. Located some 300 km south of Paris, it is a beautiful area for nature lovers and peace seekers.

Parc Naturel Regional De la Brenne is a highly biodiverse nature reserve with over 5,000 large and small lakes and many bird species. The lakes are used for fish farming, but these are also a paradise for water birds. The plant diversity is also unique, including dozens of orchid species.
Geert Engels is a birdwatcher at heart. From a very young age, his father took him into nature. This is how he learned to know and recognise birds. From Roermond, where he lived at the time, he visited many nature spots. He regularly visited the Meijnweg and De Groote Peel, for instance. He moved to Heeze, where he had been a member of the local IVN branch since the age of 18. He attended the guide course. Many schoolchildren have had a guided tour of the Strabrechtse Heide from him. When Geert visited the De Brenne nature reserve in France, he was so impressed that he decided to study for the French nature guide diploma 'Qualinat'. In 2014, he completed this study and then started organising various excursions in De Brenne. While doing so, he always has his camera at the ready.

For ten years, he and his wife ran a chambre d'hôte in De Brenne, where they welcomed many nature lovers as guests. Geert also arranged excursions and lectures there for guests of local campsites. He still returns to the beautiful nature reserve every year for a month to provide excursions for Dutch and Belgian groups. The Parc Naturel is also a real hiking and cycling area. There are lots of routes.
To get an idea of Geert's nature experiences, take a look at http://fotosgeertengels.blogspot.com/.