In early 2006, Belgium opened its first national park, thanks to the hard work of 2008 Goldman Prize recipient Ignace Schops . After several years of working alongside the nature conservation NGO, Regionaal Landschap Kempen and Maasland ( RLKM ), Schops became director in 2004. For several years, he and the team at RLKM lobbied local and regional governments, NGOs, industries and citizens to help secure the funding needed to open Hoge Kempen . Schops successfully raised over $90 million for the park and convinced the government to let RLKM oversee its daily operations. Today, the park contains over 6,000 hectares and attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year- generating revenue for the government and providing hundreds of local jobs. While attending the Europarc 2012 Conference last month- which was hosted by Schops and RLKM in Belgium- Lorrae Rominger (Interim Executive Director of the Goldman Prize) had the opportunity to visit Hoge Kempen . The stunning photos from her visit