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Where once one of Meldert's most important quarries lay, now the clear water of a large pond sparkles. At first this was a marshland, but in 1962 a stream was dammed and the quarry filled up.

Colorful nature reserve on the Zenne...

Colorful nature reserve in the land of the Zenne...

The Dorent-Nelebroek (often simply den Dorent) is a nature reserve in the municipalities of Zemst and Vilvoorde in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The area is located south of Eppegem and northeast of the Cargovil industrial area and is partly classified as landscape. All together it amounts to more than 70 hectares. The Dorent-Nelebroek is European protected as part of the Natura 2000 area 'Forests of the southeast of the Sand Loam Region' (BE2300044). The "Dorent" part is located north of the Oude Zenne and consists of fields and grassland. The Nelebroek is located between the Oude Zenne and the canalised New Zenne. This is the swampiest zone with meadows around two cut-off meanders of the Oude Zenne. North of Dorent-Nelebroek lies the Dorentbos, a forest consisting mainly of willow.

The large pond in the Kravaalbos forest is a remnant of a historic quarry. As early as the 12th century, a closed farmstead, once used for stone quarrying, stood on the site of Hof te Putte. Hof te Putte and Putstraat clearly refer to the quarries. The forest also owes its name to them. Kravaal comes from "car" and "vaal," meaning "stone" and "valley." (Kravaalbos Hiking Brochure)

Beautiful path through the still young forest.

The name Paddebroeken dates back to the 15th century and means a wide piece of land between two furrows, located in a brook or wet forest. This meaning describes the nature reserve well: a sloping meadow varying from fairly wet to wet, located on the Wedbeek, with vegetation on the banks of the stream. Further on is a smaller piece of forest on the stream. (Natural point)

A toad pool or amphibian pool is a small pool that is locally at least one meter deep and where the conditions are suitable for the reproduction of frogs, toads and salamanders. The pool and its surroundings are also a suitable living environment for some other animals, such as dragonflies. (Wikipedia)