Rank1 together with Natuurpunt Kontich gives first small impetus to Sheep Hedges 3.0
In early 2025, Kontich Local Government succeeded in acquiring several additional plots of land in Schapenhagen.
These plots of land are absolutely necessary in the (short) term to achieve
create additional water retention. After all, the entire
area between SME Blue Stone and Pauwhoevestraat
may be legally enshrined as a water-sensitive open space area (or WORG) since July 2024, but it must also be designed to actually store more water. The current water buffering in the area is insufficient to store rainwater that drains through the roofs of the SME buildings into the Blauwesteenbeek during heavy or prolonged rainstorms.
It still happens regularly that several business units experience temporary flooding. While a green-blue thoroughfare project is also underway within the SME zone to spread or slow down runoff in the meantime, more buffering is also needed in the WORG. If not, Pauwhoevestraat and Duffelshoek will eventually risk
flooding again ...
We hope that by 2026 these plots will be under the management of Natuurpunt
coming. This will then be Sheep Hedges 3.0! In anticipation, a small start was already made on Thursday, Dec. 18, with the planting of a 4 m wide and 200 m long wood and shrub zone.
This planting was a condition in the deed of sale with the former owners and had to be realized by the end of 2025.
We managed this in the nick of time thanks to one of our conservators, Greg. He found the company he works for willing to fit this planting into an end-of-year team event. With the help of 15 colleagues from Rank1, an IT company from Kontich, and expertly guided by about eight volunteers from Natuurpunt, this job was completed in half a day.
Not only was the weather excellent with some sunshine and a light breeze, but the planting holes had been prepared the day before by a professional grounds crew.
No fewer than 900 shrubs, including classics such as hawthorn, blackthorn, guelder rose and elder, but also small tree species such as rowan, spruce and field maple, have now found a permanent home. With the next spring, these can already blossom optimally and within a few years, this new woodland edge will form a visible green element in the landscape!
Thanks to Rank1 colleagues and collaborating partners Regional Landscape, the Municipality of Kontich, colleague Greg Stevens for the innitiative and Wim Annaert of Natuurpunt for the article and photos.