"...A very rare droog schraalland reserve...found almost exclusively in the Netherlands and Belgium."
Cadoelerveld Nature Reserve
My grandparents have owned a 2.5 hectare nature reserve near the Noordoostpolder in the Netherlands since 2002. it is a very rare droog schraalland reserve. This is a type of demineralised grassland that can only be found in temperate low lying areas with zinc, limestone or chalk rock layers beneath the thin top soil - found almost exclusively in the Netherlands and Belgium. The grassland type is at severe risk of being wiped out completely/
Their main threat is from eutrophication that causes the increased growth of lawn grass, rather than wild grass. This lawn grass blocks out the sunlight for the wild grass shoots, preventing photosynthesis and thus, growth.
In order to restore the grassland, several metres of top soil had to be removed, as it contained the nitrates the growth-strunting of the native grasses. Once a layer of soil had been removed, the dormant wild grass seeds in the soil could grow.
Due to the deficiency of some minerals, this grassland is home to a wide variety of plant species, from wild strawberries, to orchids, over 150 species of birds, and 30 species of day butterflies. In my opinion, the most enjoyable part of visiting the reserve is bird watching, especially in the spring, when we can see up to 15 species of butterfly a day. However, according to my grandpa, most people come to see the endangered birds and butterflies in late summer, such as the kingfisher and the swallow which are extremely rare in the Netherlands.
Although labeled a nature reserve, rather than letting nature take its course, there is a significant amount of upkeep is required to maintain the state of the grassland. My grandpa spends at a few days every summer removing saplings from the border with a forest in North East of the reserve to preserve the grassland. He also cuts the grass twice a year to allow light to reach the ground level, so shoots can grow. This grass is then sold to organic farms.
By Eve Temmick
Year 11