“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, he witnesses the gradual erosion of biodiversity and decides to take action, at his level, for nature and life.
By interacting with naturalist guides and nature educators, he realizes that these passionate and engaging individuals could be essential conduits for transmitting knowledge on these subjects. However, they are often too invisible, especially online.
Thus, five years ago, he decided to establish EcoNature to raise their profile and facilitate connections with the general public and businesses. The experiences offered allow participants to discover bird songs, the world of insects, wild plants, trees, or sustainable practices related to herbalism, learning to cook with plants or to make natural cosmetics.
The idea is also to gather all nature experiences in one place, simplifying the registration process. Day trips, workshops, and soon participatory projects will be offered, where participants will help local associations to restore ecosystems such as hedgerows, ponds, or meadows.
The platform attracts many individuals: families, solo participants, retirees. “It’s truly intergenerational,” explains Gilles BenZerrouk. “It creates a very interesting dynamic because these are groups where everyone talks, exchanges, shares, and where the guide imparts a wealth of information and knowledge. They are also true 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 living beings and nature, when we go 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.
