Organization Prolander wants to tackle nature in Schaangedennen so that the area becomes wet and offers space for species that have traditionally been present there.
You will see them in the Schaangennen: the rare spadefoot toad and the small salsify. At least, if it is up to executive body Prolander. A new sketch design has been made for the area. The ‘Schaangedennen’ is a piece of nature between Valthe and Odoorn with about fifty hectares of grass and fields.
The idea is that the watercourse De Lossing in the Hunzebos will have thresholds and weirs. This creates pools of water in some places and wets the forest. The garlic toad likes that. The hope is that the Schaangennen will become an intermediate station for these amphibians, so that they can more easily reach other places in the Hondsrug.
Yellow flower
Extra space is also being created for the small salsify. The early-summer bloomer with a yellow flower grows on sparse grassland. The plant has traditionally been found in the Veluwe and in Drenthe. Due to an increasing number of nutrients in the soil and air, such as nitrogen, the plant has declined sharply. As a result, it is now on the red list of endangered species. In Drenthe there is even only one place where they can be found: the Schaangedennes.
The implementing organization also wants to create natural fields in some places, where the soil is still rich in nutrients. It contains grains and flowers. Beetle banks will be located along these areas. “Little wallets”, explains landscape architect Martin van Dijken, “half a meter high and about two meters wide. Some rougher plants grow on it, which provide space for insects and other animal species.”
drifting sand and mineral resources
In the southwest corner of the area, the organization wants to ‘bring back’ the shifting sand. That is also good news for the spadefoot toad, because it can burrow into it, says Van Dijken.
The refurbishment should also ensure that soil treasures such as comb fields and soil relief from the last ice age can be better experienced. Prolander will be organizing a walk-in meeting for interested parties in the near future.