Nature reserves in Belgium

thumb|Sea lavender blossoms in August–September

thumb|Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen nature reserve Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen is a nature reserve on the outskirts of the Belgian city of Ghent. It lies mainly in the district of Mariakerke and covers 230 hectares. It mostly consists of wet, often flooded, meadows interspersed with ditches and canals, and is an important wintering area for water birds. It acts as a buffer zone between the city and the R4 ring road's noise-reducing barriers have been erected to lessen the road's impact on the wildlife.

protected area

castle in Auderghem, Brussels, Belgium

The Neigembos is a 72-hectare nature and forest area in Meerbeke (Ninove) that is protected in Europe as part of the Natura 2000 Habitats Directive area 'Forests of the Flemish Ardennes and other South Flemish forests'. It is, just like the Sonian Forest, a remnant of the old Coal Forest. The forest covers a height difference of 20 to 90m above sea level on the border between the Flemish Ardennes and the Pajottenland. Most of the Neigembos forest is a forest reserve. == Flora == The Neigembos has a tree stock of mainly beech and to a lesser extent oak and ash. On the more acidic soils, Pterid