Citizen science observations from the former sand quarry (NGZG) by NATUBRABZB in Flanders, Belgium

Occurrence Observation
Latest version published by Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) on Jul 17, 2026 Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO)
Publication date:
July 17, 2026
License:
CC-BY-NC 4.0

Download the latest version of this resource data as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) or the resource metadata as EML or RTF:

Data as a DwC-A file download 1,682 records in English (58 KB) - Update frequency: as needed
Metadata as an EML file download in English (10 KB)
Metadata as an RTF file download in English (9 KB)

Description

This dataset contains biodiversity observations from a nature area of approximately five hectares known as the former sand quarry and landfill, also referred to as NGZG — Natuurgebied (ex-)Zandgroeve. The site is located in the municipality of Sint-Genesius-Rode, Flemish Brabant, near the municipal boundaries of Beersel and Braine-l’Alleud. As of 2026, the site is designated as a nature area in the regional land-use plan for Flanders.Following its former use as a sand quarry and landfill, the area has acquired a meaningful new ecological role. Natural processes are returning, native vegetation is developing, and new space is being created for wildlife. The site now represents a resilient open space with increasing value for biodiversity and the surrounding communities.In a context where open space is becoming increasingly scarce, the information contained in this dataset may contribute to biodiversity research, local nature management, ecological monitoring, environmental education, and public awareness. This inventory is particularly valuable because it brings together local field experience and scientific expertise. Contributors may include certified nature guides (natuurgidsen), local observers, researchers, and professors with expertise in forest ecology, landscape ecology, and nature management, including experts affiliated with KU Leuven. Their combined contributions help document the site’s current ecological value and provide a scientific basis for its long-term conservation, continuity, and potential future protection.The dataset contains observations from a wide range of taxonomic groups, including plants, moths, mammals, birds, beetles, fungi, other arthropods, butterflies, bees, wasps and ants, reptiles and amphibians, true bugs, aphids and cicadas, mosses and lichens, flies and gnats, molluscs, grasshoppers and crickets, dragonflies, other insects, and other invertebrates.The history of the former sand quarry and landfill has become part of the site’s ecological identity. Today, the area is developing into a resilient open space in which native habitats and biodiversity recover and thrive. Most of the data was collected in the Obsidentify and Waarnemingen.be app and then exported, mapped to Darwin Core and published.

Data Records

The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 1,682 records.

This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.

Versions

The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.

How to cite

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

Lancelot P, Marcelis R (2026). Citizen science observations from the former sand quarry (NGZG) by NATUBRABZB in Flanders, Belgium. Version 1.3. Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). Occurrence dataset. https://ipt.inbo.be/resource?r=natubra-occurrences&v=1.3

Rights

Researchers should respect the following rights statement:

The publisher and rights holder of this work is Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC-BY-NC 4.0) License.

GBIF Registration

This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: b264472b-e6ed-442a-a18e-4bdccdb70169.  Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by Belgian Biodiversity Platform.

Keywords

Occurrence; Observation

Contacts

Philipe Lancelot
  • Metadata Provider ●
  • Originator ●
  • Point Of Contact
NATUBRABZB
Rene Marcelis
  • Originator
NATUBRABZB
NATUBRABZB

Geographic Coverage

Former sand quarry nature reserve (NGZG), province of Flemish Brabant, municipality of Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium.

Bounding Coordinates South West [-90, -180], North East [90, 180]

Taxonomic Coverage

No Description available

Kingdom Fungi, Plantae, Animalia

Sampling Methods

The observations were collected via a local application, ObsIdentify.be. They consist primarily of individual sightings, often accompanied by photographs. Validation of the observations does not always take place immediately; sometimes it takes longer for an observation to be validated, even when multiple photos are provided. Consequently, the validation status for every observation is sometimes missing.

Study Extent Former sand quarry nature reserve (NGZG), province of Flemish Brabant, municipality of Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium.
Quality Control The validation process is done by observation.org. The validation status of an occurrence is visible in the dwc:term indentificationStatus

Method step description:

  1. Dat was collected withj obsidentify.be and mapped to Darwin Core

Additional Metadata

Maintenance Description Updates will be published when needed
Alternative Identifiers b264472b-e6ed-442a-a18e-4bdccdb70169
https://ipt.inbo.be/resource?r=natubra-occurrences