Residents of municipalities bordering the Forêt de Soignes are being asked to leave their gardens "a little wilder", according to a report by Flemish broadcaster VRT News.
The request has gone out to residents of Tervuren, Hoeilaart, Overijse and Sint-Genesius-Rode who are being encouraged to help make the connection between residential areas and the Forêt de Soignes by making their gardens attractive to rare species and areas where biodiversity can flourish.
The "A little wilder" campaign is part of the overarching project Horizon+, overseen by the province of Flemish Brabant and The Nature and Forest Agency, in partnership with the communes which border the forest.
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"The Forêt de Soignes is a hotspot of biodiversity,” Patrick Huvenne, regional manager of the Agency for Nature and Forests, told VRT. “There are a lot of rare species and biodiversity. For the survival of these species, it is important that they find sufficient habitat. If the gardens around the Forêt de Soignes can offer small sanctuaries of wild nature, these species have a better chance of survival in a wider area."
"In this way, we want to encourage people to make pieces of their immediate habitat a little wilder in order to offer stepping stones to species outside the classic nature reserves."
