The Dorent-Nelebroek, which is also partly classified as a landscape, is especially interesting for its hedge edges along the marshy meadows in the Zenne valley.
Description of the area
The Dorent-Nelebroek is owned by the Zeeschelde department of the Ministry of the Flemish Community. Only the Dorentbosje is owned by Natuurpunt. The area is located on the border of Zemst and Vilvoorde, in the valley of the Zenne. It's a swampy grove.
Animals and plants
One- and two-styled hawthorn, cardinal's hat, guelder rose, dog rose, blackthorn, red dogwood, buckthorn and pollard trees of willow and poplar grow in the hedgerows along the marshy meadows of the Dorent-Nelebroek.
The crested newt lives in a number of cut-off meanders. This beautiful animal is endangered in Flanders and Europe. There is also a clear decrease in Zemst. The Dorentbosje itself is mainly overgrown with willow. At the back there are more grassland species such as blistering buttercup, swamp and swamp forget-me-not, bald squire and yellow watercress. Also interesting is the presence of the large dodder. A pool was dug at the very back in 1999. The last inventory already yielded four species of amphibians. This year we hope to welcome the crested newt in that pool as well.
Nature management
The willow grove is under zero management. The only interventions consist of felling along the street side for safety and the introduction of prunings into the forest as a shelter for mammals and insects. Every year around the pool, the banks of the pool and the stream should be mowed twice to impoverish the soil and to obtain even more types of plants. The reed land is also sometimes mowed.