"I have always been passionate about wildlife,” announces Gilles BenZerrouk. "I watched wildlife documentaries as a child and wanted to become a veterinarian.”
Through his experiences and travels, as well as witnessing the gradual erosion of biodiversity, he decides to take action, at his level, for nature and life.
By interacting with naturalist guides and nature facilitators, he realizes that these passionate and engaging individuals could be essential conduits for transmitting knowledge on these topics. However, they are often too invisible and poorly digitized.
Thus, five years ago, he decided to establish EcoNature, to raise their profile and facilitate relationships with the general public and businesses. This can involve discovering bird songs, the world of insects, wild plants, trees, and sustainable practices around herbalism, learning to cook with plants, and making natural cosmetics.
The idea is also to gather all nature experiences in one place, thereby simplifying registration issues. Day trips, workshops, and soon participatory projects are offered, allowing local associations to help restore ecosystems, hedgerows, ponds, and meadows collectively.
The platform welcomes many individuals, families, solo participants, or retirees. “It’s truly intergenerational,” explains Gilles BenZerrouk. “It creates a very interesting dynamic, because these are groups where everyone talks, exchanges, shares, during which the guide conveys a wealth of information and knowledge, and they are also wonderful storytellers.”
Many local authorities and companies also offer activities to their employees through the platform, which allows for large-scale awareness-raising.
“We talk a lot about ecological issues, climate change problems. These are very abstract things that leave us feeling powerless. As a result, the brain blocks, and we don’t know how to act,” explains Gilles BenZerrouk.
"Whereas in our relationship with life and nature, when we go out to touch, feel, and discover, we immediately enter something sensitive, where we are often amazed. The idea is to plant seeds at the individual level, where everyone can become aware of the importance of nature and life, of which we are a part. This then allows for the creation of collective movements, associations, to take action on the ground at their level,” concludes Gilles BenZerrouk.
