Background

The non profit organisation SEMPER FERRARIS emerged from a grassroots movement in a protest against the planned destruction of four hectares of forest for a housing project.

The forest is located along the “Dennenlaan” (Pine Lane) in a residential park area called “Heikantberg” (Mount Heatherside). The park is an essential part of a larger ecosystem which includes other “mounts” and the nature reserve of the Demer River Valley in Rotselaar, the very community that hosts the well known ROCK WERCHTER FESTIVAL (Flanders, Belgium).

Local protests lead to a rejection of the development plans by the local authorities of Rotselaar on May 4th, 2020. The landowners recently appealed against this decision with the provincial administration of Flemish Brabant (still pending!).

The forest is supposed to be protected as a “Most Vulnerable Valuable Forest” (legal terminology) pursuant to the Flemish Forest Decree. The Flemish Government has at least the intention to preserve critically endangered and often fragmented forests in Flanders, Belgium.

However, encumbered by the COVID-19 crisis, there is hardly any budget to compensate private landowners.

Seizing the opportunity, mighty real estate companies and developers are taking full advantage of this lack of implementation of the Forest Decree. This has lead to an accelerated rate of deforestation in a country where nature is already under serious threat. This is something, we believe, should be stopped.

Why Semper Ferraris

On June 27th, 2020, five dedicated local citizens drafted and signed the act of foundation of the non profit organisation SEMPER FERRARIS. This act has been published in the Belgian Official Gazette and the organization has been legally operational since July 1st, 2020.

“Semper” is the Latin word for “always” or “forever”. “Ferraris” is the denomination for an ancient and extremely rare forest. The French count Joseph de Ferraris mapped the Austrian Netherlands between 1770 and 1778.

The forests on his maps are labelled as “Ferraris Forests" and they have not been plowed or used for agriculture since that time. It may very well be that these natural habitats go back further in time for many more centuries.

The trees, undergrowth and seeds of the Ferraris Forest are invaluable and irreplaceable. Let’s preserve them.