新澳门开奖结果

Map of Dutch National Park De Biesbosch. Photo by Unknown.

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about De Biesbosch National Park

Located not far from Rotterdam, De Biesbosch is one of the largest national parks in the Netherlands. This nature reserve is located in the largest freshwater tidal area in Europe, which makes it a pretty unique place. Covering an area of approximately 9,000 hectares, De Biesbosch is a labyrinth of rivers and islands that is rich in diverse flora and fauna.

De Biesbosch lies in two provinces: Zuid-Holland and Noord Brabant. The national park was established in 1994. Its name means 鈥淩ush-woods,鈥� a reference to the abundant aquatic grass-like plants that populated the area. This nature reserve offers great opportunities for walking, cycling and even canoeing. Let’s look at the Top 10 Remarkable Facts about De Biesbosch National Park.

1. The origin of the watery area can be traced back to a flood

White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in the Biesbosch National Park, the Netherlands. Photo by DaMatriX. .

The origin of the Biesbosch as a watery area can be traced back to the St. Elisabeth鈥檚 Flood during the night of 18 November 1421. This flood disaster changed the agricultural area of the Groote and Zuid-hollandse Waard into an inland sea that stretched all the way from Dordrecht in the northwest to Geertruidenberg in the southeast.

2. The land has previously had many uses

The Biesbosch knew many traditional forms of land use, like withy-beds and reed-lands, agriculture, hunting and fishing. Remnants of those days are still there, like the so called 鈥榮almon huts鈥�, huts of willow workers and farm workers, duck decoys and the quays and grass dikes with their characteristic pools.

Boundary marker trees of former terrain boundaries can still be seen in various places. Willow cultivation can be said to have left most traces in the landscape. Willow trees dominate the Biesbosch.

3. De Biesbosch National Park has a variety of flora and fauna

The various moist and wet parts of the Biesbosch are home to many special animals and plants. In the area we find various waterfowl, reed warblers and meadow birds. Kingfishers and bluethroats are important and appealing summer birds. In good years more than 10 pairs of kingfishers and hundreds of pairs of bluethroats breed here.

Because of the development of new wetlands in the area the great white heron and the little egret are almost everywhere. Here and there the rare bittern still breeds. The lush vegetation brings about a rich world of insects, with for example beetles, dragonflies, grasshoppers and many butterflies and moths.

When reedmarshes and rush-flats are not flooded regularly, they run wild with all kinds of plants, like valerian, hedge bindweed, great willow-herb, bulrush and yellow iris. As time goes by it becomes a more and more attractive habitat for all kinds of water and marshland birds. On some reed-lands the reed is still cut every year. This is necessary to preserve a good quality of reed.

4. The best way to experience the park is through water

De Biesbosch National Park. Photo by Nathalie de Winter. .

The best way to experience the National park is from the water. The tourist offices organize boat trips but you can also rent a boat or canoe and explore the labyrinth of small rivers and creeks by yourself.

5. The park faces soil and water pollution

Many streambeds contain severely polluted sediments, a remainder from the sixties and seventies, when the rivers Rhine and Meuse were much more polluted than they are today.

Because there is little net flow in the Biesbosch  the build-up of polluted sediments in the Biesbosch has been severe. Completely restoring the Biesbosch ecosystem cannot happen without an extensive cleanup of all the creeks.

6. The park was of importance during World War Two

During World War II, the area was used by Dutch residents to hide out from the German occupation forces in the Netherlands.

A resistance group was formed that, late in the war, captured Germans fleeing to the north from what was then the Allied-held south of the Netherlands. In the winter of 1944, the area was crossed by refugees from the occupied north, while, at the same time, it was being used to smuggle medicines to the north.

7. De Biesbosch park offers bird watching

De Biesbosch National Park. Photo by Baykedevries. .

The unique setting of the national park attracts large numbers of water and marsh birds all year round. In fact, hundreds of different kinds of birds breed in De Biesbosch, including kingfishers, nightingales, and bluethroats. You can also see great white herons and egrets here and there. And, if you are fortunate enough, you might even spot an osprey or a white-tailed eagle!

8. Experience wild camping at the park!

De Biesbosch National Park in the Netherlands. Photo by Natuur12. .

As you probably already know, wild camping in the Netherlands is forbidden except for a few designated spots, which are called Paalkampeerplaats (pole camping places). In De Biesbosch, there are two of those locations, which can only be reached by canoe or rowboat. They are free to use, and you don鈥檛 need to register anywhere, but they offer no facilities.

9. There’s a museum featuring the history of the park

The permanent exhibition at Biesbosch Museum offers a rich overview of the history of the Biesbosch, the culture and the collection of the museum. The unique story of the Biesbosch is displayed in seven pavilions, covering its history from the Elizabeth Flood of 1421 to its current status as a recreational area.

The residents, economy, crafts and nature are displayed in multimedia spaces that stimulate all senses. Original film material and photographs, interviews and tools present a personal and vivid account of the area and its residents.

10. The park is affected by tides

Noordwaard Polder in de Biesbosch. Photo by Ymblanter. .

The Biesbosch forms the estuary of two great European rivers, the Meuse and the Rhine. The rivers flow into the sea via the nature conservation area. Due to its location, the Biesbosch is affected by the tides. This means that the water level varies. At flood tide, the seawater holds back the water from the rivers, and the water level is then at its highest.

At ebb tide, the river water flows freely to the sea, so that the water level reaches its lowest point. The difference between the highest at lowest water levels in the Biesbosch used to be two metres. Since the Delta Works were constructed, the tidal variation is only 20 centimetres in the Brabantse Biesbosch and 70 centimetres in the Hollandse Biesbosch.