It is too busy in North Holland nature reserves, the Association for Nature Monuments warned about this on Wednesday. The high number of visitors has an impact on the plants and animals that live there. “Sometimes people make too much use of nature without realizing that it causes a lot of damage,” says forest ranger Jowien van der Vegte.
“There are sports groups here, running events, influencers holding photo shoots, it’s just too busy,” says ranger van der Vegte. Visitors are welcome to recreate in the nature reserves, “but during those activities you have to remember: you are a guest in the habitat of those animals. Sometimes people make too much use of nature without realizing that it causes a lot of damage.”
Large groups in particular can have “a quite disruptive influence” on animals living in the area, “but they can also destroy the vegetation. That then takes quite a long time before it is restored.”
The impact of visitors is particularly visible on breeding birds. “You notice from the breeding birds that they breed far away from the paths. This is a very clear indication that they think the path is too busy.” Deer running can also be a result of the crowds, according to van der Vegte. “People love it when a pack of deer runs past, but I immediately get an unpleasant feeling because it means they have been disturbed somewhere else.”
“People love it when a pack of deer runs by, but this means they have been disturbed somewhere else.”
Measures
Walkers, cyclists and horse riders must stay on the constructed paths, the Natuurmonumenten association reports in a press release. It is undesirable that influencers, for example, increasingly simply go into nature to record in “the most beautiful places” and thereby trample plants and scare birds.
The popular, therapeutic, group “forest baths” also put too much pressure on nature. Natural monuments also prohibit the scattering of ashes, the placing of memorials or the holding of a farewell ceremony in nature. Ashes are bad for the soil and a ceremony can be disruptive to others. “We now also have a rule that people must ask permission for activities where you are in a group of more than twenty people or do activities for which you pay, such as yoga classes. We do this to get a grip on how many people where in nature. do their activities.”
However, there is no need to stay away, according to van der Vegte. “There is still a lot that can be done, but for us, protecting nature is our top priority. So we want to regulate everything that can have an impact on nature.”
Shortage of recreational places
Van der Vegte also believes that there is a shortage of recreational places in North Holland. “We have a shortage of recreational space in the Netherlands. We actually just need more attractive green areas, close to places of residence where people can take a walk, take a yoga class or take a photo shoot. Then it doesn’t all have to be in vulnerable nature, if there are more attractive places. That is something we all have to work on,” said van der Vegte.