Natural Course attends LIFE platform meeting in Finland

On the 7th – 9th February, Natural Course representatives attended their second EU LIFE Integrated Projects (IP) platform meeting in Finland, to discuss common challenges, opportunities and technical requirements.

Hosted by the FRESHHABITAT Life IP project, over 100 delegates attended the event, including representatives from all 15 LIFE IP funded projects.

During the two-day event, representatives exchanged experiences in financing and practical implementation of the projects and all gave a five-minute snapshot of their projects, which included an update about the Natural Course, including a first view of a teaser video highlighting the benefits of the Natural Course LIFE IP project.

https://www.facebook.com/LIFE.programme/videos/vb.302437314394/10154975195289395/?type=2&theater

The closing session of the platform meeting focused on these complementary funding sources and actions, drawing on lessons from the first year of FRESHABIT LIFE-IP and Natural Course.

Alistair Maltby, Director at The Rivers Trust and Natural Course Steering Group member, said: ‘We had some really positive feedback about our Natural Course project and it was really helpful to hear about other LIFE Integrated Projects and exchange thoughts on the challenges we were all facing.

‘The final day of the platform meeting took us out on a field trip to visit the first Finnish Integrated Project, where there is an initiative to restore breeding grounds for trout and install a fish passage. Getting out to see the project first hand, provided some great inspiration for the delivery of our own project back in the UK.’