The Forêt de Soignes (Sonian Forest), a natural haven at the south-eastern edge of Brussels, will be in the spotlight on Sunday 20 October, with a host of activities organised to raise awareness and protect it more effectively, the Forêt de Soignes Foundation announced on Tuesday.
The forest, a Natura 2000 area managed by the country's three regions, covers more than 5,000 hectares. Every year, a day is dedicated to the forest to raise awareness of conservation issues related to it and highlight its rich biodiversity.
This year, the event extends to the surrounding Brabant forests, while the Flemish part of the area has just been designated a national park, according to the foundation.
Guided tours, demonstrations of hunting horn and skidding (transporting newly cut timber by horse to a road), treasure hunts, clean-up operations and mountain bike rides are just some of the activities on the programme.
A number of family activities are on offer, including fun workshops and a farmers' market at Jezus-Eik. There will also be opportunities to meet forestry staff and discover nature at the Boitsfort racecourse.
In Tervuren, visitors can go behind the scenes of forest management at the Arboretum.
The full programme is available on the Forêt de Soignes website.
