The nature reserve is located in the ‘backyard’ of the village of Ursem. Surrounded by housing. Many people are not even aware of its existence: “It is a unique nature reserve around the corner.” Maintained and developed by villagers.
Hans Oudejans is very passionate about Oersheim, the nature reserve to which he has been committed for more than four years. “I had been using it for years, just after the garden center left I thought: we should try to designate this as a nature reserve.”
The site has a pond with a winding ditch, which was first used as the garden center’s compost area. Hans was afraid that the piece of natural beauty would turn into a park and wanted to protect it against housing construction. That is why he decided to fight for Oersheim.
And not only Hans, other Ursemmers were also made enthusiastic to come and help. Plans have been presented to the municipality of Koggenland and hard work has gone into getting the area where it is today. “I think we can really give Hans the credit that – what he once started – has become this”, says Ursemmer Hanneke Straaijer.
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In addition to the sound of birds, a brush cutter can be heard. “We want to have a small path through the area so that we can reach everything we need to maintain,” says Hanneke.
According to the volunteer group, it is important that, in addition to the necessary maintenance, there is as little disturbance as possible in the area, “because the municipality also wanted to lay a footpath right through it. Then I said: ‘if you want to destroy it, you have to throw in a footpath. They’ve come back to that, so it’ll stay as it is now.”
Destination plan
Recently, the municipality of Koggenland included the piece of nature reserve in the zoning plan as ‘public area, not freely accessible’. Something that Hans is happy with, although he had hoped that it would be designated a nature reserve.
Meanwhile, he proudly walks through the area and tells about everything he encounters. “We see that there is more and more diversity. Like the common blue, which is an insect. And the small carakite.”
There is an open day in the area on Sunday 28 August, when Ursemmers can see the natural beauty for themselves.