Management excursion in Den Dotter

Den Dotter in Haaltert offers a colorful collection of natural landscapes. The nature reserve owes its name to the marsh marigold, which you can find in the middle of spring in meadows and groves where mineral-rich groundwater comes to the surface. You will also find other special plants, such as hemlock water dropwort, orange hawkweed, mouse-ear hawkweed, and river ragwort. Den Dotter has a total of 320 different plant species! The blue thread running through the area is the Molenbeek. In the lower parts, you will find wet meadows and hayfields, rough lands, and swamp forests. The higher and drier parts consist of open, rolling farmland areas that have been cultivated for centuries. At the fast-flowing sections along the two water mills in the area, the grey wagtail and the kingfisher live. In the forests, you can see the beautiful golden oriole and hobby in the summer. The pollard willows along the fields house little owls, while various farmland birds, such as the linnet and skylark, breed in the fields themselves. Conservator Hans De Smet will walk with you through some parts of the area and tell you all about the management that Natuurpunt carries out here. It will undoubtedly be a fascinating story! High boots are recommended!