Bee Forest
A bee friendly forest in Oudenburg.
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Trees
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Youth Impacted
Self sustaining pocket forest
Bee Forest has shown impressive resilience despite its challenging beginnings. Planted on a sand dune in 2021, we initially anticipated that the tree roots would quickly reach the water table, located 1.5 - 2 meters below the surface, ensuring the forest’s survival. However, in 2022, Belgium, along with much of Central and Southern Europe, endured an extreme summer drought - so severe that the Flemish government officially declared it a disaster. This drought significantly impacted the forest’s growth, causing it to resemble more of a woodland than the dense forest we had originally envisioned.
Despite these setbacks, many trees have survived and grown tall, which is remarkable given the harsh conditions. We have even observed saplings sprouting at the bases of older trees, indicating that the forest is recovering and beginning to regenerate, and that the trees have likely developed strong root systems that now reach the water table.
We are hopeful that the forest’s growth will continue to improve, especially after 2024 which brought a much-needed increase in rainfall. However, we remain cautious about the tallest trees, the Elms, which are vulnerable to Dutch Elm disease. We are closely monitoring their health to ensure the forest can continue to recover and thrive.
Forest Maker
Nicolas de Brabandère
Forest Partner
Ecosystem Restored
Final report: 05.11.2024
After approximately three years our SUGi Pocket Forests become self-sustaining. They no longer require human maintenance or watering, and can be handed over to Nature for biodiversity and complexity to naturally develop.
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People living within 300 meters
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Biodiversity
Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you'll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life.
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“Ours is a long family history tied to the Flemish Polders so I’m thrilled about the opportunity to bring two SUGi Urban Forests to Oudenburg. By this, we also hope to inspire adjacent villages in Flandres.”
Elise Van Middelem, founder SUGi
Forest Report: 2023
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Average of Tallest 3 Trees
There is an abundance of tall grass in this ecosystem. The sandy soil and strong winds have contributed to a higher mortality rate than desired at Bee forest. Nevertheless, these are the only trees in the vicinity, and so the surviving trees stand out distinctly - their presence noticeable and beautiful. There have been no thistles or nettles disrupting the ecosystem.
Biodiversity Notes:
Forest Report: 2022
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Average of Tallest 3 Trees
The Bee Forest was planted on an old dune, hence why this forest faced particularly significant challenges in its first year.
Despite the severe watering restrictions, we managed to water the forest three times during the drought. Still, the forest has been visibly affected by the heat and sun. That said, we can see that the damaged saplings are re-sprouting. The range in survival rate is connected to this; we need to wait until spring 2023 to really see how many saplings fully recover.
We can see the Elm (Ulmus minor) at 160cm tall; the species is known for being resilient to drought and harsh weather and is thriving here.
The images are evidence of a Miyawaki forest showing immense resilience in the face of unprecedented climatic conditions. We foresee this forest continuing to grow and thrive, albeit at a slower rate than young forests that have not had to face the same challenges.
Biodiversity Notes:
A couple of mushrooms have been observed - mushrooms are the fruit of underground fungal hyphae forming and are a sign of important initial fungal colonisation in the soil. In addition, it is a rare sight to find wild Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) as well as the return of the blue butterfly (Lycaenidae).
“We aim to plant a tree for every resident of Oudenburg in 2021. That’s 10,000 trees. Through the creation of two Miyawaki Forests with SUGi we are nearing our goal rapidly.”
Anthony Dumarey, Mayor Oudenburg
Planting: September 2021
