The new planting season of ‘Natuurpunt’ (an independent volunteer organization that protects vulnerable and endangered nature in Flanders) started last week in Hamme, Belgium.
This year’s focus is on strengthening the ‘s Heren Streek’ area. A beautiful forest north of the ‘Scheldevallei Moerzeke-Kastel’ nature park. The planting action will be carried out in two phases during the winter. At the end of November and the beginning of February, 4 hectares will be planted in the ‘s Heren Streek’ with more than 7,000 trees.
On Friday, November 25, our colleagues from INVE Aquaculture Belgium (INVE Technologies) met for lunch at the office to charge energies for our #Benchmark4Better planting tree action. After lunch, we joined ‘Natuurpunt’ with other companies to participate in this activity to contribute to our region. We were fortunate to enjoy this activity on a sunny day in autumn!
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To access the planting location, carpooling and biking were highly encouraged to promote a sustainable-coherent-solution between the planting action and the forest to avoid harm to the nature park. At the site, holes were drilled in advance, and a sapling or shrub with protection material was placed in each planting hole. That material is solidly applied around the plant so deer cannot eat it, as large families of deer live in the area, and protection equipment is therefore necessary.
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At the end of the activity, Werner de Ferrerre – curator of the nature park who is leading the planting action in the area – explained that in the past, the poplars were first lifted so they could start again from an empty field. Today, the tall poplars are left unbothered. Normal poplars have a life expectancy of about 25 years, and the current poplars are 15 years old. Within 10 years, the new trees will have grown considerably and replaced the old ones. That way, we get a robust native forest with solid trees that will last a few hundred years.
Thanks to all colleagues who participated in this sustainable team-building experience, and to ‘Natuurpunt’ for the opportunity.
This activity is part of our ‘B4B’ initiative. If you’d like to know more about #Benchmark4Better, you can click here.
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