The Haus Bürgel Eco Centre

The Haus Bürgel Eco Centre protects and preserves conservation areas in and around Düsseldorf, including the Urdenbacher Kämpe nature reserve. Its official name, Biologische Station Haus Bürgel – Stadt Düsseldorf – Kreis Mettmann, specifies the areas under its care. Haus Bürgel was made available to the eco centre by its main supporter, the Nordrhein-Westfalen-Stiftung.

The eco centre's staff record plant and animal species, some of which are endangered, and look after hedgerows and fruit trees, moorlands and meadows under fallow. The eco centre also advises local conservation authorities and farmers with land in the protected areas.

On guided walks and at talks offered by the eco centre, adult groups and schoolchildren learn about nature and its needs. The annual fruit-picking event held in autumn brings people of all ages to the meadow orchards and their unique habitat. A wide-ranging programme of events includes birdsong walks, International Bat Night, and a variety of workshops, for example about herbs cultivated in the garden at Haus Bürgel or growing wild in the surrounding meadows.