In 2001 the Kerkepannebos was added to the nature reserve Houtsaegerduinen. The Kerkepannebos reserve is for a large part situated onthe territory od De Panne, a neighboring city. The forest is also property of the Flemish Region. The Kerkepannebos is a relatively small area, only 6 hectares, at the southwestern border of Sint-Idesbald. It can be seen as a southernend of a dune landscape that almost reaches to the sea. There are no natural forests along our coast. Even the Kerkepannebos was planted but this happened about hundred and fifty years ago. Therefore it is one of the oldest forests along our Flemish coast. The forest is the result of a then applying view that poor ground in one way or another had to be reclaimed or valorized.
