Management in the Wormer and Jisperveld

They do not like the rigid, single-coloured green (turbo) grasslands. They prefer natural grasslands with a wide variety of herbs and grasses, soft soil, lots of insects and little disturbance. Currently, not all grasslands in Wormer- and Jisperveld meet the requirements of meadow birds. Natuurmonumenten, local farmers and volunteers try to create the ideal habitat for meadow birds through special nature management. Examples include fertilising, mowing at the right times and regulating the water balance of the grasslands.

Fertilising natural grasslands
One of the causes of the decline in meadow bird populations is the environmental policies of the 1990s. This policy required farmers to inject manure underground as much as possible. Among other things, this way of spreading manure creates turbo grasslands. These are precisely the grasslands that meadow birds do not like. In addition, injecting manure is also bad for soil life and thus for the food supply of meadow birds such as the black-tailed godwit, lapwing and redshank.

Rough manure (manure with straw) provides better living conditions for small meadow birds, which live off insects, worms and larvae. For the Wormer- and Jisperveld, Natuurmonumenten produces this rough manure in the potting shed. Want to know more about Natuurmonumenten's potting shed? Then go to 'Potting stable Natuurmonumenten'.

Just before the meadow birds arrive in the Wormer- and Jisperveld, rough manure is spread (from February to early March) on the natural grasslands. This manure attracts many insects that serve as food for the meadow birds, but also helps enrich the herb-rich grass and soil life. Perfect for the ideal habitat for the meadow bird!

Mowing natural grasslands
Natural grasslands are mowed about once or twice a year (after the breeding season) while turbo grasslands are mowed much more often and earlier. In spring, this makes the difference between natural grasslands and turbo grasslands clearly visible. Indeed, turbograss meadows are often monotonous; 'plain' green grass, mown at one height. In contrast, natural grasslands are much more varied; multi-coloured, different heights of plants and flowers, with lots of insects and birds. Can you tell these grasslands apart?

Mowing the natural grasslands, or rather mowing them as little as possible, is important for meadow birds in several ways. For example, young meadow birds, just hatched, have time to grow up and become fly-flyers. Furthermore, before mowing, one checks whether no meadow birds are breeding and mowing is done in such a way that (meadow) birds walking around have time to run or fly away. In addition, the little mowing allows grass, herbs and flowers to bloom and set seed for longer, making the meadow even more natural.

Water management around natural grasslands
The water management of the natural grasslands is one of the biggest challenges in the Wormer and Jisperveld. To create the ideal habitat for meadow birds, the natural grasslands should not be too dry, but also not too wet. Accurately regulating the water level within the plots ensures, among other things, that the animals, which are food for (meadow) birds, are on the surface of the soft soil. This allows them to easily pick them out of the ground with their beaks. Furthermore, plots with the right water level grow and flourish much more, which in turn means more insects for the meadow birds and more hiding places for the chicks.

To improve water management on more plots in the Wormer- and Jisperveld in the future, Natuurmonumenten will make several adjustments. In the future, this will allow water to be automatically fed in during dry times, making these grasslands more suitable and rich in herbs for meadow birds as well.

The wooden and steel meadow windmills you see here and there in the landscape play an important role in the water management of the Wormer- and Jisperveld. Want to know more about meadow windmills? Then go to 'Meadow windmills in the Wormer- and Jisperveld'.