Bart Backaert is no stranger to the world of ‘ecology’. As a young boy, his parents did not know what wood to make arrows from and they sent him to horticultural school. Little did they know that that was where his calling lay.
A world opened up to him and for more than 40 years he has been helping to build a ‘Green piece of Aalst’.
He has been ‘chief sergeant’ as it is called for more than 20 years, but he is a pioneer in the field of sustainability.
Let’s say we found each other in our rebellious way of thinking to really do things differently. Bart is the dream guide. A walking encyclopedia that has traveled the world. He is passionate about trees, equally concerned about how nature thrives and has an amazing talent for strong stories. His humor is infectious.
It is also wonderful to see how Aalst is committed to a more diverse natural life and maintains the balance between creating green spaces and letting nature take its course. Together with his team, he transformed the city park into a flower field where rare orchids bloom. The forest, reed, mountain night and beetle orchid have already been seen here. It is not surprising that many other municipalities come knocking on the door to gain knowledge.
But behind the scenes, he is building his own piece of paradise at home. His ‘Tiny Food Forest’ is his experimental spot.
Natural air conditioning, a picking jungle, a CO2 storage, a botanical garden, a bird sanctuary, a paradise ………The principles: no machines for maintenance = no noise pollution, no fuel, no emissions, ….. Plants must be edible or usable: 90% of this is the case, other species serve to attract insects and birds.
Bart Backaert
We sign for that anyway. He will soon be working on our food forest projects for me. That makes us happy.
Bart in the media
Groendienst Aalst opts for southern trees. click here
City park Aalst does not want to clean up the havoc caused by storm. click here
Bart Backaert about Aalst as a ByeByeGrass municipality. click here
