Sonian Forest Foundation brings three regions together

A new organisation is being set up to manage the Sonian Forest, in the hope of breaking down the administative hurdles caused by the forest spanning three different regions.

The Sonian Forest Foundation will bring together experts from Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia. A director is currently being recruited and the organisation is due to start work by the end of this year.

"The main aim of this foundation is to work together to protect the natural wealth of the forest and better coordinate our activities," the new organisation said.

In a typically Belgian compromise, the foundation will have an office in each of the three regions, each with its own specialism.

The head office will be in Brussels - more precisely in the Rouge Cloître on the forest's edge in Auderghem. It will coordinate all activities and have general responsibility for forest management and communication.

In Flanders, the Foundation will have a presence in Groenendael, which will serve as a visitor information centre. And in Wallonia, a base in La Hulpe will be responsible for research, archives and gathering data on the forest.