The Alkaline fens of Torfbroek, a small natural reserve situated between Brussels, Leuven and Mechelen, are very rich in plant species. Much of the species found in Torfbroek such as marsh helleborine (Epipactis palustris) and marsh fragrant orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) have become rare species in the rest of Belgium. 

_{Alkaline fen at Torfbroek, Kampenhout (Central Belgium)}

Tanacetum: probably comes from the ancient Greek word athanasia (immortal): the flowers do not fade easily and retain their yellow color for a long time. It can also refer to a sort of elixir of life that was made from it. 

Vulgare: means common.

Vernacular names
English: Tansy
Dutch: Boerenwormkruid

Morphology
Tansy is a flowering herbaceous plant with finely divided compound leaves and yellow, button-like flowers. It has a stout, somewhat reddish, erect stem, usually smooth, 50–150 cm (20–59 in) tall, and branching near the top. The leaves are alternate, 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) long and are pinnately lobed, divided almost to the center into about seven pairs of segments, or lobes, which are again divided into smaller lobes having saw-toothed edges, giving the leaf a somewhat fern-like appearance. The roundish, flat-topped, button-like, yellow flower heads are produced in terminal clusters from mid-to-late summer.

Medicinal traits
For many years, tansy has been used as a medicinal herb despite its toxicity. 19th-century Irish folklore suggests bathing in a solution of tansy and salt as a cure for joint pain. A bitter tea made with tansy flowers has been used for centuries as an anthelmintic to treat parasitic worm infestations, and tansy cakes were traditionally eaten during Lent because it was believed that eating fish during Lent caused intestinal worms. Various Tanacetum species are used ethnomedically to treat migraine, neuralgia and rheumatism and as anthelmintics. Traditionally, tansy was often used for its emmenagogue effects to bring on menstruation or end an unwanted pregnancy, and pregnant women are advised to not use this herb. Research published in 2011 identified 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (3,5-DCQA) and axillarin in tansy as antiviral compounds that are active against herpes simplex virus.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ptr.3382

*Belgian beer culture includes traditions of craftsmanship for brewing beer and is part of the diet and social life of Belgians. Its cultural value was formally recognized in 2016 when it was added to UNESCO's "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" list. There are more than 200 active breweries in Belgium and around 1600 different beers. The basic Ingredients of beer are water, malt (from cereals, mainly barley), hops and yeast. 

Management at current and possibly earlier sites must be aimed at maintaining or restoring specific hydrology. Points for attention are: preventing acid rainwater from stagnating, buffering against groundwater fluctuations due to water abstraction and preventing reduced groundwater supply or eutrophication of groundwater or surface water. In addition, adapted mowing management is necessary in the late summer or fall. Dense, old overgrown habitats can be opened again. This might be done by a volunteer organisation.