The farm is beautiful, also agrees Eric Menkveld from Natuurmonumenten. Nevertheless, the next month will go to the ground. “This is Huisje Flik, where once a Keuterboertje lived. In 2008 the province bought the house. Not for the house, but for the grounds that were around it.”
Those grounds have been transferred to Natuurmonumenten, with the condition that the house would be demolished. In anticipation of that demolition, researchers were allowed to use the house as a base for research in nature. But now Natuurmonumenten wants to demolish the area and so the cottage has to give way.
“Behind me is the hinterland. That is very low,” says Menkveld. “And then you see that landscape walk up, over the house. And then it runs down again,” while the regional manager tells, he indicates the rising land with his hands. “So you see enormous variation in water levels. And also in soil. That in turn gives enormous variation in plant growth and therefore insects, birds. So on.”
The researchers will fall raw on the roof that the field station will now be demolished. From the universities of Utrecht, Groningen and Antwerp, students regularly come here who do research on the Dwingelderveld during the day and stay in the farm at night.
“Of course I am now with my hands in the hair,” says researcher Rudy van Diggelen. “That research by us will run for at least two years. I have to find something similar somewhere. Either I have to incur terrible costs.”
Nevertheless, Natuurmonumenten has warned Lenze Hofstee from vacancy manager Carex. He in turn says that he only received a letter this summer. “We think it is not necessary at all. In any case, it gives a huge obstacle to the long -term investigation that takes place here.”
Regional manager Menkveld believes that the researchers can go to the holiday homes in the area. “That is not free and I do understand, that gives more costs. But they have to take that into account in their research. There is enough room around it to offer people a place to sleep. And for the rest they can continue with their research in the coming years.”