Biodiversity at CNDG Hospital in Gosselies

Country hedge & community planting

Biodiversity at the CNDG – Phase 2

Gosselies (Charleroi)

1050

551

October 2025

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The Project

As part of its journey towards obtaining the THQSE certification, the Clinique Notre-Dame de Grâce (CNDG) in Gosselies aims to strengthen biodiversity across its site while involving its employees in the process.

Following an initial landscaping phase completed in March 2025, SOWoods returned to the site in October 2025 to continue planting the hedgerow and introduce a participatory element. Part of the new planting was carried out together with employees from across the clinic, involving people from all departments and levels of seniority.

The project therefore combines the ecological improvement of the site with team building and hands-on awareness of the importance of vegetation.

Initial situation

The area surrounding the staff car park, located between the clinic’s facilities and the E42 motorway, was initially sparsely vegetated and offered limited value for biodiversity.

A first intervention in March 2025 began transforming the site through the planting of a native hedgerow across more than 300 m². Wildlife passages were also created in the fence, while birdhouses and insect hotels were installed.

The objective of this second phase was to continue greening the site while helping employees better understand the role of these features and take an active part in their implementation.

SOWoods’ solution

In October 2025, SOWoods continued planting the hedgerow to strengthen the site’s green connectivity and provide additional habitats for local biodiversity.

Part of the planting was organised as a participatory activity involving employees from different departments and levels of seniority. Guided by the SOWoods team, participants helped plant the hedgerow while learning about its ecological role and the importance of vegetation in urbanised environments.

This second phase extends the work carried out a few months earlier while creating a shared dynamic around the biodiversity component of CNDG’s THQSE certification process.

Benefits

Ecologocial :

Extension of the hedgerow and reinforcement of green continuity across the site.
Gradual creation of new shelter and food resources for birds, insects and small wildlife.
Stronger connections between the site’s different green areas.
Complementarity with the birdhouses, insect hotels and wildlife passages installed during the first phase.

Climate-related :

Contribution to the gradual cooling of the area surrounding the car park.
Improved rainwater infiltration into the soil.
Reduced exposure of the soil to direct sunlight and drying.
Gradual carbon storage within the vegetation and soil.

Social :

Active employee involvement in the clinic’s environmental approach.
An opportunity for employees from different departments and levels of seniority to connect.
Greater awareness of the role of hedgerows, vegetation and biodiversity in urbanised environments.
A stronger sense of collective ownership of the site’s new green spaces.