Search for the ‘Dutch panda bear’: “It’s a bit of a dork”

In the distance, apartment buildings loom on the edge of Amsterdam-Noord and not far from us, cars rush along the N247, but together with urban ecologist Fred Haaijen we are really up to our ankles in the middle of the swampy soil of a special nature reserve.

We look out over the grassland of De Hoorn in Zunderdorp. Where the average passer-by sees a meadow with low shrubs and swampy grass, Haaijen points out the richness of the area, such as the spongy green that bulges out of the grass here and there. It turns out to be peat moss and, given the advancing agriculture, that can rightly be called rare.

Turbo grass

The rich peat moss thrives in boggy soil, which disappears due to drainage by farmers. Drainage is not the only threat to native Zunderdorp flora and fauna. “Much of this area is sown with perennial ryegrass,” Haaijen explains.

According to him, this so-called ‘turbo grass’ ensures that cows produce good milk. But what is good for the cows is not good for nature. “Previously there were all kinds of hay fields here, which were very poor in nutrients and therefore rich in herbs. There were countless insects on them, so food, there was a lot to be had for nature.”

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But we don’t stand here early in the morning in the mud for a tuft of moss. Together with Haaijen we are looking for one of these the big five. Not the well-known African powerhouses – the buffalo, lion, leopard, rhino and elephant – but a slightly smaller one: the northern vole.

Big Five

This mouse is part of the polder version of the big five which also consists of the fox, the grass snake, the kingfisher and the tawny owl. Haaijen has to admit: which animals are included in North Holland’s big five can vary – for example, the owl can make way for a harrier if the ecologist gives big five tours and this hunter happens to fly by. But the northern vole? As far as he is concerned, it has been given a permanent place.

The adorable-looking animal has a round body and ditto eyes. Haaijen immediately admits: the vole is indeed very cute, but above all the animal is incredibly rare and special.

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“The northern vole was pushed south during the ice age,” says the urban ecologist, who has come up with a suitable nickname. “When the ice receded, the mouse remained. This subspecies is not found anywhere, except in the Netherlands. It is the only mammal that only occurs in the Netherlands, which is why I call it the panda bear of the Netherlands.”

Slut

What doesn’t exactly help this vole: the animal is less dominant than other mouse breeds. A bit of a wimp, Haaijen thinks: “He can’t hold his own among field mice. The other mouse species are probably more successful in terms of reproduction and finding food. He may be a little bigger, but he is a wimp who is pushed out in drier places. “

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We are not bothered by dry places during our search: it rains when it pours. We are on the road in preparation for a nature work afternoon that Haaijen regularly organizes. With a group of volunteers and in collaboration with the municipality of Amsterdam, he polishes natural gems.

Vole on the menu

This is done under the watchful eye of Haaijen and with the necessary caution so as not to disturb nature. The group returns an area like De Hoorn to its original state: invasive blackberry bushes are removed and too many young trees are cut down. Because those trees might look nice: they are also lookouts for birds of prey, with the rare northern vole on the menu.

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The ecologist has set out dozens of traps to catch the mouse alive. He shows them to his enthusiastic volunteers, so that they see for which animals they do all that work.

Sinking into the meadow, we follow the traps. Haaijen was already afraid of it: after a lot of slogging we come across one empty trap after another. It is too cold for the northern vole, the animal is not active enough and stays far away from the traps.

Fatty snack

The trip is not entirely without success. In one of the traps we find a wood shrew. “Still quite rare,” says Haaijen. The dark-colored creature with the pointed snout gets a snack in the form of four fat earthworms. The urban ecologist keeps the animal with him until after the nature work day, then he releases it in exactly the same place.

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A disappointment after a long search, but not necessarily for Haaijen. When the afternoon arrives, the group of eleven volunteers comes to help him ‘clean up’ De Hoorn. Much needed for the fairly overgrown area. And that vole? He caught it once years ago, and the volunteers have the wood shrew to admire.

Pearl polished

In the afternoon we work hard, including planting branches. This gives hedgehogs and weasels a hiding place. Wrens, hedge sparrows and robins will be able to lay their eggs there in six months and it will make way for toads and other big fiver: the grass snake.

The ecologist is satisfied. “Everyone was enthusiastic and this natural gem has been polished. Now you can see peat moss growing again and the beautiful garden hidden here.”