Every drop of rain that falls from now on will be better retained in the Extended Middenraai nature reserve. On this former piece of farmland, space has been created for water, wild animals and plants and for new hiking trails. Almost a quarter of a century after the first plan, the redevelopment of the area has been completed.
The nature reserve of the same name is located between the Mantingerzand and the Verlengde Middenraai canal. Measures were needed to combat the problems caused by extreme drought and extreme precipitation. In one case the Mantinger sand dried up and in the other case nearby agricultural plots suffered from too much water.
Ditches have been filled in and drainage has been removed. A replacement pumping station has been built for agriculture, so that the excess water ends up in the canal.
With this refurbishment, a connection has been made between the nature reserves Boswachterij Gees and the Mantingerzand. This gives wild plants more opportunities and wild animals benefit from this new, wetter environment. Think of dragonflies, swallows, bats, frogs and reptiles. Animals crossing the area can now use a safe crossing. A tunnel has been constructed under the motorway.
With the help of the students of the Meester Siebering school in Nieuw-Balinge, the last job has been done: the last ditch has been filled. The change of the Verlengde Middenraai, from an agricultural area to a nature reserve, is now complete. Ice creams were handed out to celebrate. The work took about a year, but the whole process from A to Z took much more time.
Jan Gorter of Natuurmonumenten wrote the first plans for this area 23 years ago. “After 23 years we can have a party. This plan, the expansion of nature areas, connecting nature areas, was made 23 years ago by the ministry for the whole of the Netherlands: the Ecological Main Structure. This was one of the first implementation projects.”
It is not surprising to Gorter that it took so long. “Well, processes in rural areas take that long. Change takes time, people have to get used to it, governments sometimes suddenly don’t have the money and then they do, that’s how it goes.”