cool! Gerco made this new woodcarving for us in the Bentwoud (VIDEO)

The popular woodcarving hare was removed from the Bentwoud at the end of 2021. The artwork no longer looked like it. For a few months passers-by looked at a bare spot, but that has changed since Thursday 21 April.

Gardener and artist Gerco Murre has been asked by Staatsbosbeheer to make a new wood carving. He made a sketch of a fox and was commissioned. Within a day he turned a tree trunk with several saws and a chisel into a beautiful fox.

selfie hot spot

Many people from Oosterheem and passers-by missed the wooden hare that stood in the Bentwoud for a number of years. It was a figurehead at the intersection of biking and hiking trails, and a popular spot for selfies. Due to vandalism and a lesser quality wood, the hare unfortunately did not look any better. “The hare was made of poplar wood that wears out quickly,” explains forester Jonathan Leeuwis. “His ears were sawn off once and the tail was broken off. We took it away.”

Tree trunk from Leersum

Gerco from Zeeland combines his work as a landscape gardener with wood carving. “I’m good at drawing and jigsaws. I started woodcarving a year ago. I tried to cut a figure out of a tree trunk and it worked quite well. Since then I have been making works of art for various clients such as animals, vegetables and fruit.” The trunk of the fox in the Bentwoud is from an oak tree from Leersum. In 2021 a strong fall wind caused a large part of the forest there to blow over. One of the fallen oak trees has been reused for Gerco’s carvings.

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Curious passers-by

Gerco grabbed his chainsaw and started roughly sawing the tree trunk from 08.00 in the morning. During the day, he used multiple saws, chisels and a grinder to work slowly to the fox’s contours and distinctive head. While he worked imperturbably, curious passers-by regularly came by to admire his artwork.

Nice to leave

Around 5 pm Gerco put the finishing touches to his woodcarving. The thick layer of oil must protect the wooden fox against wind and weather. “I will come back again for a second oil layer,” explains Gerco. “I hope everyone leaves the fox alone. The tree trunk is deeply anchored in the ground and the fox is less vulnerable than the hare with its long ears and protruding tail. The fox is common in the Bentwoud, so my work fits perfectly in this environment. I actually think he turned out beautiful.”