Wachtebeke (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Natuurpunt will plant 7.3 hectares in Heidebos, Wachtebeke and Moerbeke, restoring native forest. Gert du Cheyne leads the project with over 13,000 trees and shrubs this Sunday, Nov 23, 2025.
As VRT News reported, at the end of this week, Natuurpunt will plant a 7.3-hectare site in the Heidebos, covering Wachtebeke and Moerbeke, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium. The land was used for farming and is not yet a forest, even though regional plans list it as forest. Gert du Cheyne of Natuurpunt said the project will restore the area to its natural state.
What is Natuurpunt planting 7.3 hectares of forest in Heidebos Wachtebeke?
Officials mentioned that the land belonged to the Ghent Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW). Natuurpunt bought it after long negotiations. The planting is part of efforts to restore habitats, increase biodiversity, and expand forest areas.
“In the past, it was a production forest of Corsican pine,”
says du Cheyne.
“We’ve been transforming it for several years now into a more robust forest, with more native species. Arld that’s what we’re going to do with the new section.”
“The Heidebos is now a varied patchwork of poor grasslands, heathland, deciduous and coniferous forests.”
Gert du Cheyne, Nature Point
Natuurpunt is planting the former fields in the Heidebos with native trees and plants to ensure the forest remains continuous.
“We’re targeting common oak and small-leaved lime, and for the shrubs, we’re choosing species native to this sandy, acidic soil,”
says du Cheyne
The project will not disturb local wildlife, as animals can already move between forest areas.
“We hope to welcome many enthusiastic people to help plant those trees,”
concludes du Cheyne.
“It’s not hard work; we’ve already drilled a lot of holes, so volunteers just have to put the plants and trees in the holes and compact the soil very well. It’s going to be a huge job.”
A major planting event will take place this Sunday, 23, 2025, from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Volunteers will help plant thousands of trees and shrubs. In total, over 13,000 native plants will be planted in the coming months.
About 12,000 will be planted by the end of this week, and the rest will follow in February 2026. Natuurpunt invites anyone interested to join the Sunday event and provides full details for volunteers online.
Natuurpunt has conducted these types of forest projects in East Flanders before. In 2018, the group covenanted a 5-hectare plot of former farmland in Wachtebeke to create a native forest. They also planted more than 10,000 trees and shrubs and created wildlife corridors.
These projects intend to connect forest areas, enhance biodiversity, and provide habitats for animals that used to live there. This forest conversion is part of Natuurpunt’s plan to increase green spaces and restore natural landscapes over the long term and across the Nature Benefits, or Aristal, region.
