News item | 11-10-2022 | 17:00
More and more animals and plants can be found on Marker Wadden. This also includes rare species such as the long-tailed duck, the dwarf gull and the corncrake. Tomorrow at the KIMA conference in Amsterdam, researchers will present how the policy on Marker Wadden has been implemented. This study was commissioned by Minister Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management).
Minister Harbers: “I am impressed by the rapid and successful development of Marker Wadden. In just a few years, 47 breeding birds and 170 plant species have been added to Marker Wadden. This makes the area an internationally successful example for nature restoration. At the conference tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, all kinds of countries will come to see what they can learn, because the research has yielded a wealth of knowledge that can also be applied in other European areas. So you see that the Netherlands-waterland can not only control the water, but can also work with the water to achieve a beautiful and healthy result.”
Nature around Marker Wadden recovers and improves
With the project on Marker Wadden, a lot of knowledge has been gathered about building with silt, and about the ecological effects of this type of measure. First of all, it has been proven that a growing group of birds visit Marker Wadden. This is because of the large supply of fish and insects and the available rest and breeding grounds. This also includes rare species.
In addition, it appears that vegetation grows well on the silt islands. The material is rich in nutrients and the composition of the sludge ensures variation in the height of the bottom, which enhances nature development. From the very first year, Marker Wadden provided new nature, the area looks different every year and the researchers encounter more and different species.
The water quality has also greatly improved on the eastern side of the islands. The area is already making an important contribution to the national Natura 2000 goals, by providing a pleasant habitat for many and sometimes rare species of birds.
Partners
The research was carried out by the Marker Wadden Knowledge and Innovation Program (KIMA), an initiative of Natuurmonumenten, Rijkswaterstaat, Deltares and Ecoshape.
KIMA is a collaboration between Rijkswaterstaat, Natuurmonumenten, Deltares, Wageningen Research, Witteveen+Bos, Arcadis, NIOO-KNAW, University of Groningen, Radboud University and University of Amsterdam.
More information about the research on Marker Wadden is here to find.