Stone meal helps sustainable restoration of soil and wildlife in West forest area

Starting Monday, November 24, we will start spreading stone flour in forest area West. This is one of the measures we use to restore the soil and strengthen biodiversity. Stone meal helps to balance the soil in a targeted way and gives the ecosystem a boost. The distribution is done by helicopter. During the work, the area is temporarily closed.

Where and when will the work take place?  

It involves 60 acres in forest area West. The work is scheduled for the week of Nov. 24, 2025. The start of the work depends heavily on the weather. Therefore, the exact time when the work will start will not be known until shortly before the start. 

Attention to safety

Stone flour is a natural product and not harmful. Nevertheless, inhaling it is not desirable and we keep our distance during the work. That is why we are briefly closing some bicycle and walking paths and parts of the forest area. Temporary information posters will be placed in the area so that visitors can see exactly where they cannot go and why.

Dispersal by helicopter

The spreading of stone flour is done by helicopter. It works quickly, accurately and without damaging the soil. At the depot, a shovel loads the stone flour into a large bin under the helicopter. The pilot flies to the spreading point, unloads the load above the forest and picks up a new load within minutes. Thus the entire area receives an even dose of stone flour in a few hours.

What is stone meal and what does it do for the soil?

Stone meal is a natural product of finely ground rock. It contains minerals lacking in the forest soil, such as potassium, calcium and manganese. These nutrients are slowly released and help restore the natural balance. This allows the soil to replenish nutrients and biological processes are restored. Soil life gets a boost and plants can develop better. Stone meal lies visible on the ground for a short time and then quickly sinks into the soil.

Why are remedial measures necessary?

The higher sandy soils in Brabant have been struggling with acidification and eutrophication for years. This depletes the soil and plants and animals decline in number. We also see this in Son en Breugel.
In the forests of Son and Breugel, many nutrients have disappeared from the soil due to acidification and eutrophication. As a result, the soil is depleted and soil life has declined sharply. As a result, more and more plants and animals are having a hard time, some are even disappearing. Species that benefit from high nitrogen take up space and displace rare plants. As a result, variation decreases and the nutritional value of plants decreases. Thus, the entire forest ecosystem comes under great pressure. As long as the nitrogen deposition persists, nature will not manage to recover by itself. An extra impulse is needed to increase biodiversity and resilience, so that nature and forest can better resist nitrogen and changes in the climate.

This restoration project was made possible in part by the European Union and the Province of North Brabant.