PROTECTING OUR NATURAL HERITAGE
The majority of our initiatives and budgets are devoted to protecting nature in our region. This fundamental mission is broken down into a series of initiatives.
Protecting our NATURAL HERITAGE
Protecting nature, at the heart of what we do
INVENTORIES to improve our knowledge
To protect nature effectively within the National Park, it is first necessary to have a sufficiently accurate picture of the biodiversity situation in the region. That is why some of our project leaders drawing up inventories of different elements of our natural heritage.
Checking the ecological quality of WATERCOURSES
Water is everywhere in our region and the ecological quality of the various local watercourses has a direct impact on the diversity of species found here.
Objectives: check the chemical condition, biological quality and hydromorphological status of the watercourse.
Inventory and monitoring of heritage and sensitive FOREST habitats
Sloping forests, alluvial forests, old-growth forests, etc. The Semois Valley is home to many sensitive environments that provide a habitat for numerous species.
Objectives: develop a methodology; assess the sensitivity of the habitats inventoried to the various pressures and threats; plan and monitor initiatives to protect at-risk species and habitats.
Inventory of protected and emblematic SPECIES
Many protected and emblematic species live in and around the Semois Valley National Park. However, there is a lack of information on the location and conservation status of these species.
Objectives: carry out scientific inventories in order to obtain as accurate a picture as possible of the conservation status of these species in the region.
Creation of the CLIMATE CHANGE Observatory
Climate change is already making itself felt in our areas, through various phenomena (droughts, floods, heatwaves, etc.). By inviting the public to enter their observations on the subject, we hope to raise awareness about the importance of the issue.
Objectives: offer a platform bringing together inventory data and climate change observation data for the National Park.
Accroître la CONNECTIVITÉ écologique du territoire
Connecting the spaces with the richest biodiversity to allow the movement and development of the various species is a fundamental challenge. The Semois Valley National Park is working to achieve this through various initiatives.
Increasing and deploying integral RESERVES
Integral forest reserves (IFR) are areas where natural phenomena are "allowed to evolve according to their own laws", without intervention, which implies restrictions on logging, hunting, land and water use, as well as access, management and surveillance.
Increasing the surface area of IFRs and networking them offers a number of advantages:
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it facilitates the renaturalisation of certain environments;
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it increases food and shelter resources for a number of emblematic species (various bats, black and middle spotted woodpeckers, mosses and lichens, etc.);
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it makes it easier for lynx to settle in the Valley.
Objectives: convert at least 10% of public hardwood forests to RFI status.
Development of OPEN AREAS within forests and transition areas (stand edges)
The intra-forest stand edges and open areas are home to many species of insect, particularly forest butterflies whose populations are in decline. They are also a feeding area for large herbivores... and a favourite hunting ground for lynx and forest cats.
Objectives: create at least 100 ha of interconnected internal stand edges in the Semois Valley National Park.
Creating a detailed MAP of the green and blue belt
Improving the connectivity of watercourses and other areas rich in biodiversity is essential for many species and for the general health of nature in the National Park.
To achieve this, it is first necessary to be able to draw up an inventory of the existing situation. This will make it possible to define which areas need to be given protected status in order to strengthen this connectivity.
Objectives: develop a mapping tool offering a detailed view of the green and blue belt in the region; locate between 50 and 100 ha to be placed under protected status.
Combating LIGHT pollution
Excessive light has devastating effects on certain species that need darkness to thrive. Restoring the "black belt" by removing light points that are not or no longer any use is therefore an essential measure.
Objectives: extinguish 120 light points in the region, determined according to nature protection priorities and to create an International Dark Sky Reserve (IDSR).
Preserving and restoring priority HABITATS
The Semois Valley National Park is exceptional in terms of the variety of unique habitats found there: former slate quarries, sloping forests, agricultural environments, the Semois floodplain, etc. Numerous initiatives are planned to preserve or restore them.
Maintaining and restoring threatened BIOTOPES on the slopes and ridges of the Semois
The rocky ridges and steep slopes of the Semois basin contain a number of rare biotopes: exposed rocky outcrops, wooded rocky ridges, often old-growth hillside forests, etc. It is important to preserve, maintain and even restore these sites in order to maintain the great biological variety found there.
Objectives: restore 20 hectares of these biotopes in the National Park.
Restoring the Semois FLOODPLAIN
The floodplain of a river like the Semois is an ideal environment for the development of pastures and hay meadows with hygrophilous and nitrophilous flora, or alluvial alder or ash forests. Over the last century, the gradual neglect of the pastureland and the planting of coniferous forests in these areas have considerably deteriorated these environments and reduced the biodiversity that used to thrive there.
Objectives: restore 30 hectares of these environments in the National Park.
Preserving biodiversity in AGRICULTURAL environments
The lean hay meadows and ancient orchards are home to a very rich biodiversity. It is therefore essential to inventory and preserve these environments, as well as the genetic heritage of the local fruit trees and the various meadow plants found in the National Park.
Objectives: preserve and restore the extensive agricultural environments of the Semois Valley; preserve the genetic heritage of the fruit in the region's old orchards; conserve the genetic heritage of ancient cereals that are resilient to climate change, as well as meadow plants.
Restoring and preserving SLATE quarry sites
The Semois Valley National Park is dotted with former slate quarry sites. These are of great biological interest, as they now constitute open environments in the middle of the forest, conducive to the establishment of calcareous and xerophilous species that are rare in the Ardennes.
Objectives: restore at least 3 slate quarry sites (still containing priority or rare open environments) and place them under a management plan (ideally with strong protection status).
Creating a network of forest PONDS to strengthen the blue belt
The presence of forest ponds can rapidly improve the biodiversity status: these are favourable to a series of species that are sometimes very sensitive and help improve water retention in the forest.
Objectives: create or restore at least 30 forest ponds as part of a relevant ecological network.
Developing a network of HEDGEROWS, orchards and tree lines
Hedgerows, orchards and other man-made features such as tree lines are essential elements of the ecological network. They connect the many larger natural areas found in the Semois Valley and therefore act as ecological corridors and shelters for many species.
Objectives: remove the obstacles to the establishment of hedges, orchards and tree lines by drawing up an environmental action plan for hedge maintenance and a network of professionals able to carry out this maintenance.
Combating INVASIVE alien plants
Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed are two invasive alien plant species that are now widely present in the Semois Valley region, severely impacting local biodiversity.
Objectives: eliminate 100% of the balsam on the banks of our rivers, by involving local volunteers in the initiatives; monitor and take the necessary action on 100% of the sites where Japanese knotweed is present.
Preserving emblematic animal SPECIES
The lynx, the otter, certain chiropterans, the common European adder and the pearl mussel are all endangered animal species for which the National Park has put in place preservation initiatives. We are also combating certain invasive animal species, such as the raccoon.
Initiatives to help the LYNX
Le lynx a fait son retour dans la vallée de la Semois, mais un certain nombre de barrières doivent être levées pour permettre à l’espèce de se pérenniser dans la région.
Objectifs : améliorer les trois critères nécessaires à un retour durable du lynx dans notre région (qualité de l’habitat, fragmentation, acceptabilité).
Initiatives to help the OTTER
Almost extinct in Wallonia, the otter has survived in a few places in the Semois Valley, according to a study carried out by WWF-Belgium . The otter is an umbrella species: protecting it will also have a positive impact on a host of other species.
Objectives: deploy camera traps for at least 300 days per year + carry out at least one search for signs of otter presence per year; establish potential connection zones between watersheds and create otter pipelines; communicate about the species or its conservation.
Initiatives to help the CHIROPTERAN in the Semois valley
The Semois Valley is particularly rich in chiropterans, with 20 of the 24 Walloon bat species present there. The National Park is particularly keen to take action on the Barbastelle and the Greater Horseshoe bats.
Objectives: improve knowledge of the distribution of chiropteran breeding colonies in attics and bell towers in the SVNP and encourage their establishment through suitable developments.
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Initiatives to help the common European ADDER
The territory of the Semois Valley National Park is dotted with ancient slate quarry sites. These are of great biological interest, as they now constitute open environments in the middle of the forest, favorable to the establishment of calcareous and xerophilous species rare in the Ardennes.
Objectives : at least 3 slate sites (still sheltering priority or rare open environments) restored and provided with a management plan (and ideally benefiting from strong protection status).
Initiatives to help the pearl MUSSEL
Thousands of mussels capable of producing fine pearls were once found in the rivers of the Ardennes. Overfished, the species has virtually disappeared but is still present in the Vierre, a tributary of the Semois.
Objectives: inventory at least 15 sites in the Semois; to survey all distribution squares; to restore habitats.
Combating INVASIVE animal species
Raccoon, coypu, muskrat, Canada goose, Egyptian goose, etc. These are all invasive species present in the National Park, causing major damage to local biodiversity.
Objectives: develop an action plan for trapping raccoons, particularly at specific, particularly sensitive sites.
Conserving and improving the biological quality of our RIVER
The Semois and its tributaries are the beating heart of the Semois Valley National Park. A river with restored banks, flowing freely and lined with numerous wetlands will be an immense asset for local biodiversity.
Restoring the BANKS of the Semois
More than half of the banks of the Semois no longer have the belts of helophytic plants and herbaceous fringes that are a haven for biodiversity. The cause: forestry operations involving coniferous trees along the river, farming of livestock that graze and erode the banks, invasive plants and animals, etc.
Objectives: create several kilometres of riparian forest and protect the riverbanks by planting areas with herbaceous vegetation.
Restoring WETLANDS, islands and spawning grounds
Very rich in biodiversity and vital for the reproduction of certain species, the wetlands, islands and spawning grounds of the Semois often need to maintenance and restoration.
Objectives: improve the general condition of wetlands, islands and spawning grounds.
Removing OBSTACLES to the free movement of fish in the Semois and its tributaries
Lever un maximum d’obstacles sur la Semois et ses affluents bénéficiera aux différentes espèces de poissons, qui doivent souvent remonter les cours d’eau pour se reproduire. Favoriser la reproduction de ces populations de poissons profitera aussi aux espèces piscivores qui s’en nourrissent.
Objectifs : inventorier l’ensemble des obstacles présents sur la Semois et ses affluents et prévoir un plan d’action pour lever un certain nombre de ces obstacles.
Identifying and conserving local fish STOCKS
For some years now, we have been observing a phenomenon of introgression (gene transfer) to wild trout by farmed (domestic) trout in the rivers of Wallonia. However, from generation to generation, these domestic trout retain a genotype that is ill-adapted to life in the wild.
Objective: to find a wild strain of brown trout and produce 1,000 fry to be reintroduced into the Semois.