The Gulke Wells

The nature reserve De Gulke Putten is located in the Belgian municipality of Wingene, on the grounds of the Radio station Belradio, on the border with Ruiselede. The nature reserve is located in the vicinity of the Sint-Pietersveld site and is managed by Natuurpunt vzw. The area is rich in wet and dry heathland, heischral grasslands, coppice with flowery paths and clearings with orchid-rich hayland.

In 1969 an area of 1.25 ha was started, which had already been expanded to 13 ha in 1973. After the transfer of ownership of the Radio Broadcasting Station (Belgacom) to the Armed Forces, a management agreement was concluded. Between 2000 and 2008, the nature reserve expanded from 16 ha to more than 100 ha. The management consists of weeding, mowing, felling, grazing and allowing to thrive. This leads to the restoration and conservation of rare relict species and nutrient-poor habitats.

The reserve is a relic of the former extensive grounds that belonged to the medieval Bulskampveld. The nature reserve consists of four habitat types. A large part is coppice, which evolves into upright forest with, among other things, pedunculate oak, birch, aspen and also American oak and bird cherry. The not too acidic soils provide forest and forest edge plants such as solomon's seal, pale-spored forest violet, goldenrod and valley herb. In the clearings, pipe litter and shrub heath dominate with sphagnum moss and sedge in the acidic ditches. Here you can find breeding birds such as the green woodpecker, the rancid owl and the tailed. The paths and lanes also provide valuable heischral vegetation such as spotted orchid, toothgrass and brush grass, tormentil and shrub heath. The area is not freely accessible.

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