On 13 May, the municipality of Zaventem celebrated the opening of a 8.5-hectare nature reserve. After helping design a biodiverse forest and planting over 2,000 trees and shrubs to add a species-rich edge to it, it was a great pleasure for us to see people enjoying the burgeoning forest!
Everyone is welcome at Toyota Forest
We are proud to be part of a collaboration to bring a green, biodiverse oasis in our community
16/05/2023
Native biodiverse greenery for everyone
In the eastern outskirts of Brussels, between the E40 Brussels-Leuven motorway and the residential area of Sterrebeek, everyone can enjoy a piece of biodiverse nature. Comparable in size to 8 and a half football pitches, the forest is home to at least 6 types of indigenous trees, a significant number of insects, mushrooms, birds and mammals such as squirrels. Unpaved walking paths take you through the native forest and grassland. There is also a playground, benches, a challenging BMX track, as well as dog meadows of 1.2 hectares in total.
Booming young plants
In the autumn of 2022, Toyota employees got together on a cold Saturday morning to plant more than 2,000 trees and shrubs including various native deciduous tree species such as sessile oak, hornbeam and maple. On the south side of the forest, we created a wide forest edge with species that produce a lot of nectar and berries. Insects and birds can feast on them, and this will boost the forest’s ecosystem and growth. These plants are now growing and burgeoning.
Joining forces in a local collaboration
The story starts back to early 2022 when the municipality of Zaventem decided to develop the young pioneer forest on a rich soil into a public nature reserve. As our technical centre operates just 1km away, we didn’t hesitate to join the local collaboration together with Forest Fwd and other partners. When designing what has become one of the largest publicly accessible forests in the Brussels area, a lot of attention was paid to ensuring biodiversity and catering for various activities of the young and old. Toyota’s main role is to support protection of the forest’s biodiversity.
“We were happy that we could save this unique forest. The protection of greenery and open space is important for our living environment, biodiversity and the well-being of people.”
Bart Dewandeleer, First Alderman for the Environment
“It is our great pleasure to support protection of biodiversity in the community where we operate. Our vision of sustainability encompasses not only carbon neutrality but also conserving and passing our Mother Earth to our next generations.”
Daniel Haas, Senior Manager Sustainability & ESG Management
