Tessenderlo-Ham (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – With support from the LIFE Multi Peat initiative, Naturpunt leads restoration work in Geneberg Ham to improve 130 hectares of damaged peatland through an effort that includes filling artificial ponds and returning natural water flow patterns.
Natuurpunt plans to drain ponds within Geneberg in Ham to finalise a major program fostering the revitalisation of a once wet peat landscape. The planned project seeks to revive the Grote Beek River valley by emptying more than 70 existing artificial ponds together with the ninety-weekend residential structures present. A restoration is urgently needed, says Cyr Mestdagh from the LIFE Multi Peat project, due to the area’s former status as a flow-through bog containing unique European biodiversity. The project works to restore natural water flow through the removal of old ponds that disturb the ecosystem to create improved habitats for diverse species.
A restoration effort at Ham works within a European-scale program addressing peatland rehabilitation as the Zwarte Beek Valley demonstrates successful peatland restoration across 230 hectares.
The initiative aims to bring back 130 hectares of natural ecology in the Grote Beek valley.
“A lot has happened over time that has destroyed the peat,”
Explains Mestdagh.
“Ponds and ditches have been dug; everything has been done to drain it. We now want to reverse that process.”
“The project started around the variable damselfly, the municipal adoption species and for the crested newt,”
Explains Michiel Aerts of RLLK.
“We have not yet found the crested newt, but we have found other species, such as the smooth newt, the palmate newt and the alpine newt.“
The collaboration with Regional Landscape Lage Kempen (RLLK) aims to enhance habitats for species such as the great crested newt, which has been a focal point of local conservation efforts. Michiel Aerts from RLLK highlights that while they have yet to locate the crested newt, other amphibian species have already been identified in the area.
Background of Peatland Restoration Initiatives
Peatlands function as important ecosystems because they both capture carbon effectively and enable multiple species to thrive. Multiple peat areas were disrupted because of drainage activities and construction initiatives undertaken by humans. Natuurpunt’s Wetland Plan targets wetland restoration projects across 1500 hectares of Flanders until 2027 in order to highlight their biodiversity importance and climate protection abilities.
The organisation efficiently tracks about 27,000 hectares of nature reserves while executing several successful LIFE projects dedicated to habitat recovery and species protection.
Multiple research groups observe that restoring ponds serves as an essential measure to boost biodiversity according to assessments from local initiatives in Ham. můnvironmental research demonstrates how ponds managed correctly enhance aquatic habitats while creating vital spawning grounds for various organisms.
