Natuurmonumenten and Natuurbegraven Nederland have joined forces to transform a piece of agricultural land near the Mantingerveld into a heathland with natural cemeteries. It concerns a total of 22 hectares of land that Eric Menkveld of Natuurmonumenten hopes to be able to lay out at the end of next year, so that the first people can be buried.
“We are now in the permit procedure at the municipality of Midden-Drenthe,” says the area manager of Natuurmonumenten for South Drenthe. He hopes that Natuurmonumenten will soon come to an agreement with the municipality, so that the current land no longer has to be used for grain cultivation after a year.
The inhabitants of Nieuw-Balinge are divided on the arrival of a natural cemetery, says Menkveld. “There are people who say they don’t like it, but there are also people who wonder what it is.” There is also a part that reacts positively to the arrival. “A group of residents thinks it’s great and asks if they can already reserve a spot.”
There are five known natural cemeteries in Drenthe, in Zuidvelde, Anloo, Eext, Meppen and Witteveen. There are all over the Netherlands, according to the website all natural cemeteries, almost forty. 10% of the heathland at the Mantingerveld can soon be used for the graves. That offers space for five thousand dead.