A new beginning: volunteers of Natuurpunt and 'the wijnpers' help with breeding endangered plants

Meise, December 18, 2024 – As the year draws to a close, 25 dedicated volunteers from Natuurpunt gathered at Meise Botanic Garden to take part in a meaningful mission: the conservation and cultivation of endangered plant species. Under the Life HARWIN initiative, which focuses on large-scale recovery of endangered species, the volunteers took on the responsibility of nurturing six threatened plant species, including saw-wort  (Serratula tinctoria), cambridge milk parsley (Selinum carvifolia), burnet-saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga), quacking grass (Briza media), betony (Stachys officinalis) and mountain St John’s-wort (Hypericum montanum)

Each volunteer received approximately 333 seeds of these endangered plants to sow at home in seed trays, where they will nurture the young plants before they are eventually planted in the Winge Valley. While the volunteers focused on the easier-to-grow species, experts from the University of Antwerp and Meise Botanic Garden took on the more challenging plant species. The project aims to propagate these species, translocate and help them thrive in the selected nature reserves.

The volunteers were given thorough guidance on the specific care and cultivation techniques needed to successfully grow the plants at home. With the support of experts, they learned how to manage the delicate process of seed sowing and plant nurturing. This initiative thereby not only contributes to the protection of biodiversity but also raises awareness about the importance of ecological conservation.

Additionally, the Wijnpers, an agricultural and horticultural school, engaged themselves again to breed hundreds of Rough hawkbit (Leontodon hispidus) plants with their students.

A BIG thank you to our volunteers! We will keep you posted on the progress and the plant action we will organise in April 2025.