Michel Boutsen: nature conservation in a rapidly changing world

In this lecture, the speaker highlights his experiences with nature conservation and the entire set of issues associated with it. Establishing a botanical garden, a project that is now ten years old, turns out not to be without obligation due to its forced confrontation with a number of problems that completely transcend their local nature and ultimately affect us all in one way or another. This realization led to the conception of a Botanische Tuin in La Macarena in Colombia. “Just 10 years ago, in February 2014, the botanical garden of La Macarena in the province of Meta van Colombia was born on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. The species richness there is rather comparable to that of our northern botanical gardens in our temperate regions. Hence the motto that “every piece of forest is a botanical garden” . Since then, it has been officially recognized as a reserve (Reserva de la Sociedad Civil). By its nature, the botanical garden defends the very essence of biodiversity, and this in a very difficult socio-political context. The much-hoped-for peace after the 2016 peace accords did not come to pass in Colombia, nor in La Macarena, so neither for the so-called society of the region nor for the fauna and flora that are incessantly falling prey to ruthless deforestation, which causes untold and irreparable damage to biodiversity and, moreover, completely disrupts water management. While the space of the more than 700 hectares of the botanical garden is the seat of all kinds of scientific studies, it is clear that these activities and their results must be linked to society. That is why communication and education are also points of focus.” Bio: Dr. Michel Boutsen (°1958 Leuven) is fascinated by plants and has created his own collection of rhododendrons and roses in a magnificent garden in Geel. In Colombia gave shape to his dream of being one of the 22 officially recognized botanical gardens with the intention of safeguarding part of the fauna and flora from that part of the rainforest. He wrote a book about this in three languages. REGISTRATION Davidsfonds members: 20 euros, non-members: 25 euros Register before May 27, 2026 in one of the following ways: Order tickets via: https://davidsfondstongerlo.eventgoose.com and bring these tickets with you By transferring the amount due, mentioning the participant(s), to BE 48 9796 0319 6727 of Davidsfonds Tongerlo If online registration or registration by bank transfer does not work, please send an email to DFtongerlo@outlook.com