Good news for the Tour of Drenthe, a farmers’ protest in Assen and less good news for nature. Here you can read an overview of the most important news from last week.
Nature is waking up from its hibernation earlier and earlier. Due to climate change, spring is coming earlier and earlier. This is evident from research by natural scientists. Plants bloom a month earlier than they did fifty years ago, because it gets warmer earlier. The heat is pleasant for people, but it is less good news for nature. This can be disrupted, forest ranger Kees van Son explained. For example, great tits can start laying eggs too early, with the risk of another period of frost. Also, due to early spring, there is sometimes insufficient food available to keep the young birds alive.
The Public Prosecution Service will prosecute an underage boy from Assen for causing a fatal traffic accident near Ekehaar. The boy is also charged with driving without a driver’s license. In the accident between Ekehaar and Anreep last August, a girl from Assen died when the car she was in crashed into a tree. Four other occupants of the car were injured, two of them seriously.
Farmers gathered at the provincial government building in Assen on Wednesday to take action against agricultural and nitrogen policy. The protest started in Beilen, where farmers gathered with their tractors at the Jumbo distribution center. From there the procession drove to the provincial government building in Assen.
The condition of the roads in the Norger Oosterduinen is a thorn in the side of forest residents. The roads contain large potholes. The residents want the municipality of Noordenveld to take charge of tackling the road. The municipality of Noordenveld knows about the problems. But says he has no money for maintenance. Also, many of the roads are not owned by the municipality.
The week ended with good news for the Tour of Drenthe. While female pros were previously unable to participate due to the loss of police deployment, the Tour for women will now go ahead. The race now consists of 5 laps of 30 kilometers instead of one long lap. Due to the closed course, fewer volunteers are needed to guarantee safety. The finish is also no longer in Hoogeveen, but on the VAM mountain.