Cercles des Naturalistes de Belgique

What Cercles des Naturalistes de Belgique does

Cercles des Naturalistes de Belgique (CNB) is a Belgian non-profit association (ASBL) founded in 1957 and headquartered in Vierves-sur-Viroin, operating with a staff of 32 employees. Its mission is naturalist education, biodiversity awareness, and nature conservation, delivered through a network of certified Guide-Nature professionals across all three Belgian regions (Wallonia, Flanders, and Brussels-Capital).

CNB's flagship digital asset is the guides-nature.be marketplace, a web-based platform that catalogs 150+ themed nature activities — covering forest, wetlands, marine, river, urban, countryside, and astronomy — and connects institutional clients with certified guides via searchable directories, activity descriptions, and per-guide contact forms. The organization also operates a member portal (Espace Guide) for guide self-management and runs a proprietary three-year Guide-Nature certification program that produces the majority of guides on the platform. Pricing is fixed and transparent: €150 per enterprise session regardless of group size, €4 per student for school groups, with extended full-day enterprise activities priced at €300.

The revenue model combines per-activity transaction fees with likely membership subscriptions (consistent with ASBL status), supplemented by institutional funding from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and the Région Wallonne. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the platform and direct guide contact, supported by an active social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn) and video content. CNB is GDPR compliant and operates without disclosed venture capital, private equity, or parent company ownership, making it a member-governed non-profit rather than an investable commercial entity.

Name

Cercles des Naturalistes de Belgique

Legal name

Guides-Nature ASBL

Website

https://guides-nature.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cercles des Naturalistes de Belgique is a Belgian non-profit operating guides-nature.be, a marketplace connecting certified nature guides with schools, enterprises, and associations for naturalist activities across Belgium, supported by a three-year Guide-Nature certification program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature Education Marketplace

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAAAGAB

Guided Tours & Interpretive Services (Ranger-Led, Naturalist, Cultural Interpretation)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/National Parks & Protected Area Visitor Services (Concessions, Guided Access)

SECONDARYTHAAAOAJ

Environmental Interpretation & Ranger-Led Education Programs (Visitor Education)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Educational Adventure Programs (Outdoor Education, Skill Development)

SECONDARYTHAAAFAG

Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Parks & Reserves (Visitor Operations)

SECONDARYEDAAALAG

Architecture, Planning & Surveying (AIA, Planning, Land Surveyor CE)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

Keywords

• Nature education services
• Guided naturalist activities
• Certified nature guides
• Biodiversity discovery tours
• Environmental training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Vierves-sur-Viroin

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Activity fees: Revenue generated from guided nature activities booked through the platform. Pricing is fixed: 150€ for enterprise groups (flat rate regardless of participants) and 4€ per student for school groups. Some activities have variable pricing based on duration and group size.
2. Membership subscriptions: CNB operates as an ASBL (non-profit association) suggesting membership fees may contribute to revenue. The organization also provides Guide-Nature training courses over three years.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cercles des Naturalistes de Belgique (CNB) operates the guides-nature.be online marketplace, connecting certified Guide-Nature professionals with institutional clients (schools, companies, associations, public administrations) to book guided naturalist activities across Belgium. The organization also runs a three-year Guide-Nature certification training program and provides fixed-price nature discovery activities covering themes such as forest, wetlands, marine, river, urban, countryside, and astronomy.

Product overview

The Cercles des Naturalistes de Belgique operates guides-nature.be as a unified marketplace platform connecting certified nature guides (Guide-Nature breveté) with institutional clients (schools, companies, associations). The platform encompasses a searchable directory of certified guides, a catalog of 150+ themed naturalist activities, and an integrated booking/contact system. The organization also offers a 3-year Guide-Nature formation program to certify new guides. Activities span multiple themes including forest, wetland, marine, river, urban, countryside, and astronomy, with fixed pricing of €150 for enterprises and €4 per student for schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• guides-nature.be Platform Online marketplace connecting certified Guide-Nature professionals with schools, enterprises, associations, and institutions to browse and book 150+ themed naturalist activities across Belgium, with integrated contact and booking functionality.
• Formation Guide-Nature (3-Year Training Program) A comprehensive three-year training program offered by CNB to certify aspiring nature guides, covering botany, ornithology, mycology, geology, ecology and a broad range of naturalist themes; graduates supply most of the guides on the guides-nature.be platform.
• Guided Nature Activities (Themed Activities) Catalog of 150+ guided nature activities available across Belgium in themes including Astronomy, Countryside, Forest, Wetlands, Marine environments, River, and Urban nature, delivered by certified guides for school groups, businesses, associations, and public administrations at fixed prices (€150 flat for enterprises, €4 per student for schools).

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Fédération Wallonie-BruxellescoreOthersInstitutional supporter of the Cercles des Naturalistes de Belgique. Provides funding and recognition supporting CNB's educational mission in nature conservation and biodiversity awareness.
• Région WallonnecoreOthersRegional government body that supports CNB and the guides-nature.be platform initiative. Provides funding and institutional backing for nature education activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Natuurmonumenten: Largest nature conservation organization in the Netherlands. Comparable mission to CNB with nature education, guided activities, and visitor services across protected areas, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Pro Natura: Switzerland's oldest and largest nature conservation organization. Similar non-profit structure to CNB, offering nature education activities, guided excursions, and biodiversity programs across multiple regions.
• WWF Belgium: Belgian branch of WWF offering nature education programs and corporate engagement. Comparable to CNB in mission and Belgian geographic focus, with significantly larger brand recognition and corporate partnership capability.

Others

• La Ligue de l'Enseignement: French educational non-profit offering complementary pedagogical activities including nature outings for schools. Comparable customer segment (schools) and educational mission, though with broader non-environmental focus.

Regional players

• Natur & Ëmwelt (Natur&Emwelt): Luxembourg nature and environmental foundation offering nature education and guided activities. Comparable to CNB in non-profit structure and educational mission, though operating in a smaller adjacent market.
• Les Blongios: Belgian non-profit focused on wetland nature education and guided activities in Wallonia. Operates a similar model of naturalist guides leading educational nature outings, with a more focused thematic scope on aquatic environments.

Direct peers

• Natagora: Walloon nature conservation association with similar mission to CNB. Both organizations focus on biodiversity protection and nature education in the French-speaking community of Belgium, serving overlapping institutional and member audiences.
• Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO): Major French nature NGO offering guided birding and biodiversity activities for schools and the public. Shares CNB's educational naturalist guide model and institutional customer segments, though at much larger scale.
• Natuurpunt: Belgium's largest nature conservation organization operating across Flanders and Brussels. Comparable to CNB as a Belgian non-profit offering nature education, guided activities, and conservation programming for schools and the public.

Emerging players

• Association des Guides de Haute Montagne (SNGM): French national association of certified mountain guides. Comparable to CNB in its model of certifying professional nature/outdoor guides through structured training programs and connecting them to institutional clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC34jIduVTWU63HmsjpZqAdg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cercles.des.Naturalistes.de.Belgique
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cercles-des-naturalistes-de-belgique
• Instagraminstagram.com/cnb_be

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cercles des Naturalistes de Belgique