Meadow birds in the Wormer and Jisperveld
Laag Holland is rich in nature. Green meadows criss-crossed by ditches and canals, vast peat meadows and endless water. Visitors and residents enjoy this special landscape every day.
Only, Laag Holland has not always looked like this. Over the years, the area has been developed mainly by human hands. To make life below sea level liveable, large areas were drained and waterways were dug to drain away the water. Every day, people still work hard to maintain the special nature of Laag Holland.
So too in the Wormer and Jisperveld, which in turn has its own challenges. A p...
Only, Laag Holland has not always looked like this. Over the years, the area has been developed mainly by human hands. To make life below sea level liveable, large areas were drained and waterways were dug to drain away the water. Every day, people still work hard to maintain the special nature of Laag Holland.
So too in the Wormer and Jisperveld, which in turn has its own challenges. One problem facing not only the Wormer and Jisperveld, but the whole of the Netherlands, is the declining number of meadow birds. Since the end of the last century, the number of meadow birds in the Wormer- and Jisperveld has seen an annual decline. Natuurmonumenten, local farmers and volunteers have joined forces to ensure that the Wormer- en Jisperveld remains a walhalla for meadow birds. During your cycling tour, read the story below and learn more about the meadow birds in this unique peat meadow area.
Get on your bike and experience Wormer- and Jisperveld
This route starts in the always lively town of Purmerend. After just a few minutes of cycling, you leave the city behind and cycle along the Kanaaldijk along the Noordhollandsch Kanaal. On your right, you see the rigid geometric allotment pattern of UNESCO World Heritage Site Droogmakerij de Beemster while on your left, a patchwork of water and land, the Wormer- en Jisperveld, stretches out.
The Wormer and Jisperveld is the largest interconnected peat meadow area in Western Europe. In spring, hundreds of meadow birds such as the black-tailed godwit, redshank, lapwing and oystercatcher descend here every year for the breeding season. Did you know that as many as 70% of the world's black-tailed godwit population flies to the Netherlands every year to breed? In spring, you can see meadow birds rooting in the lush grass and flying above the meadows everywhere you look in Wormer- en Jisperveld. Take a good look around you!
If you were to believe your eyes, you wouldn't immediately say that things are going badly for the meadow bird. Yet the number of meadow birds has been declining every year since the end of the last century. Special nature management for meadow birds by Natuurmonumenten and local farmers has ensured that the numbers have stabilised in recent years, but unfortunately this is not enough. That is why Natuurmonumenten, together with local farmers and volunteers, is doing all it can to create the ideal habitat for the meadow bird. The meadow bird loves natural grasslands with lots of variation in herbs and grasses, soft soil to peck out food, lots of insects and little disturbance. Creating this requires special nature management. This includes fertilising, mowing at the right times and regulating the water balance of the grasslands. Want to know more about the management of Wormer- and Jisperveld? Then click on point five on the route.
One of the biggest challenges in the Wormer and Jisperveld is water management. This is because meadow bird land should not be too dry, but not too wet either. To ensure the right balance between wet and dry, it is important to manage the water level accurately. The wooden and steel meadow windmills you see here and there in the Wormer- and Jisperveld play an important role in this. Want to know more about the meadow mills? Then click on point six on the route.
Halfway along the route, you pass a special spot in the Wormer- and Jisperveld; the Schaalsmeerpolder. This small, tight reclamation area is also known as the 'nursery' of the peat meadow area. At the entrance to the Schaalsmeerpolder, you'll find a lovely picnic spot. Feel free to park your bike here for a short break or take a walk through this small, special polder. Want to know more about the Schaalsmeerpolder? Then click on point seven on the route. Tip: visit Visitor Centre De Poelboerderij for a beautiful boat trip through the peat meadow area or for more information about this unique area.
After a lovely round trip along the Wormer- and Jisperveld, you leave the peat meadow area behind you and cycle back to the centre of Purmerend. Here you can end the day at one of the cosy catering establishments in the town centre.
This route was developed by Bureau Toerisme Laag Holland, commissioned by the Twiske-Waterland Recreatieschap, the Alkmaarder- en Uitgeestermeer Recreatieschap and the Province of North Holland and is part of the Intergovernmental Programme Vital Countryside.
Take a closer look
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Starting point
Tramplein bus station
Tramplein 20
1441 GP Purmerend
Navigate to starting point
Tram Square bus station
Bus station Tramplein is the bus station near the centre of Purmerend. From this bus station, direct buses go to Amsterdam, De Rijp, de Beemster, Edam and Volendam.
Tram Square bus station
Bus station Tramplein is the bus station near the centre of Purmerend. From this bus station, direct buses go to Amsterdam, De Rijp, de Beemster, Edam and Volendam.
A service counter is also located here os. See below for opening hours.
At the ticket office of this bus station, you can buy the Amsterdam & Region Day ticket. With this ticket you can discover the beaches of Zandvoort, the cheese market in Edam and typical Dutch villages like Volendam with a 24-hour public transport pass. It is a special card valid in metros, trams, buses and trains of GVB, Connexxion, EBS, AllGo, R-net and NS in the Amsterdam metropolitan region. With the purchase of this day ticket, you will receive an accompanying Amsterdam region route map full of useful tips and unmissable highlights.
Neckermolen tea garden
Under the smoke of Purmerend, you will find this idyllic gem of the region. Enjoy homemade delicacies or a delicious high tea in the garden with your friends or family among the fruit trees in summer.
Neckermolen tea garden
Under the smoke of Purmerend, you will find this idyllic gem of the region. Enjoy homemade delicacies or a delicious high tea in the garden with your friends or family among the fruit trees in summer.
Reservations
Reservations can only be made for High Tea's and for groups larger than 10 people. For lunch, drinks or cake, feel free to come by and make a reservation at the door. There is almost always a place for you.
Do you have something to celebrate?
Do you have a birthday, an anniversary to celebrate or another reason to celebrate something? At Theetuin de Neckermolen, part of the orchard can be hired during opening hours! Click the button for more information or contact us by mail info@theetuindeneckermolen.nl.
Care and meeting farm Limosahoeve
On the Oudelandsdijk in Spijkerboor, you will find care and meeting farm Limosahoeve. Here, they offer day care for various target groups, among other things.
Care and meeting farm Limosahoeve
On the Oudelandsdijk in Spijkerboor, you will find care and meeting farm Limosahoeve. Here, they offer day care for various target groups, among other things.
At the care and meeting farm, you will also find the 'Limosa coffee shop' in this little shop on the road offers all kinds of things. From (comic) books and eggs to fresh fruit and vegetables straight from the vegetable garden and/or greenhouse, you'll find it all here. Feel free to take a look!
Management in the Wormer and Jisperveld
To make the Wormer and Jisperveld the ideal habitat for meadow birds, it is important to improve the grasslands in the peat meadow area. Meadow birds are fussy critters and not all grasslands meet their requirements.
Management in the Wormer and Jisperveld
To make the Wormer and Jisperveld the ideal habitat for meadow birds, it is important to improve the grasslands in the peat meadow area. Meadow birds are fussy critters and not all grasslands meet their requirements.
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'.
Meadow mills in the Wormer- and Jisperveld
Scattered through the Wormer- and Jisperveld are dozens of meadow windmills. For years, these meadow mills have played an important role in the water management of the peat meadow area.
Meadow mills in the Wormer- and Jisperveld
Scattered through the Wormer- and Jisperveld are dozens of meadow windmills. For years, these meadow mills have played an important role in the water management of the peat meadow area.
Without proper water management, the landscape becomes more barren, causing, among other things, the disappearance of herb-rich grass, which attracts meadow birds because of the many insects. A good balance between wet and dry is therefore very important for meadow birds. So we can use the help of the meadow mills for this.
In the Wormer- and Jisperveld you will find wooden and steel meadow mills. You may have noticed it yourself! The wooden meadow mills have been around for decades while the steel meadow mills are only from the last few years. There are two types of meadow mills; the Bosman mill (four sails) and the American windmill (full circle of sails). Have you seen the different meadow mills in the peat meadow area?
Over the years, much has changed in the field of meadow mills. Traditionally, meadow mills could only release water. But thanks to a new project, new meadow mills are being installed at various locations that can also release water in times of drought. This way, we can make things even more comfortable for meadow birds.
Wood or steel, old or new, all types of meadow mills are important for meadow birds in the Wormer and Jisperveld. Yet a big problem lurks in the Netherlands. In fact, there are currently only a few people in the whole of the Netherlands who can make these meadow mills.
Want to know more about the importance of meadow mills? Then watch the interesting video 'Ode to the meadow mill'.
The Schaalsmeerpolder
On the edge of the Wormer and Jisperveld is the Schaalsmeerpolder. A small, tight reclamation area dating from 1631. Compared to the rest of the area, the Schaalsmeerpolder lies a lot lower. The area here lies one to two metres below sea level.
The Schaalsmeerpolder
At the edge of the Wormer and Jisperveld is the Schaalsmeerpolder. A small, tight reclamation area dating from 1631. Compared to the rest of the area, the Schaalsmeerpolder lies a lot lower. The area here lies one to two metres below sea level.
Walking along the Wormerringdijk, the difference in height in the landscape to the left and right is clearly visible. Without the countless small meadow mills you see along the way in the Wormer- and Jisperveld, it would be one big pond here.
The Schaalsmeerpolder is a unique spot in the Wormer- and Jisperveld. Here you will find many good natural grasslands, which attract hundreds of meadow birds in spring for the breeding season. As a result, the Schaalsmeerpolder is also known as the 'nursery' of the Wormer- and Jisperveld.
To make things easier for the meadow birds here, Natuurmonumenten ensures that the grass in the polder is short and varied at the beginning of the breeding season. Short grass is ideal for meadow birds. In it, they can build their nests properly while keeping an eye on their enemies. To give meadow birds extra protection, Natuurmonumenten has installed fox grids in the Schaalsmeerpolder.
De Poelboerderij visitors' centre
About ten kilometres above Amsterdam is the Wormer and Jisperveld nature reserve. Originally a low moorland area with unique flora and fauna.
De Poelboerderij visitors' centre
About ten kilometres above Amsterdam is the Wormer and Jisperveld nature reserve. Originally a low moorland area with unique flora and fauna.
Since the establishment in 1988 of the De Poelboerderij Foundation, De Poelboerderij Visitor Centre has been the 'gateway' for young and old to this beautiful nature reserve. The area lends itself perfectly to beautiful boat trips. With its winding ditches, unique vegetation, beautiful views and the presence of many species of birds, you will experience the North Holland landscape in a very special way. Visitor centre De Poelboerderij has been committed to preserving this beautiful nature for years.
Visitor centre:
Visitor centre The Poelboerderij is open all year round, 7 days a week (from 9.30am to 4pm). Have a look around our shop, enjoy something tasty on our terrace, come for a meeting, or join one of our boat trips or activities. The Visitor Centre is there for everyone who loves nature.
Boating trips through the Wormer- and Jisperveld:
At Bezoekerscentrum De Poelboerderij there is plenty to do for young and old. The visitor centre regularly organises various boat trips through the Wormer- and Jisperveld under the guidance of an experienced skipper and guide. During the various boat trips, you can spot meadow birds or birds of prey, enjoy music, learn how to take nature photos, or sketch in the field, among other things.
Freshwater aquarium:
Since 2021, De Poelboerderij Visitor Centre has had a brand new freshwater aquarium. The previous, cold-water aquarium was over 25 years old and in need of replacement. The new aquarium is no less than 7 metres long, showing a cross-section of a farm ditch. Come along and take a look 'underwater'. You will discover what lives in the water: from small predatory fish and (pike) perch, to all kinds of whitefish, carp, gobies and the Schele Pos. A familiar sight in the Zaan region!
Water playground:
What could be more fun than playing with water? The water playground at the visitor centre is a life-size wooden 'aquaplay' of no less than 70 metres, where children can play to their heart's content with (wooden) boats, locks and windmills. The water playground is free to enter and open seven days a week. And while the children enjoy the water, parents, carers and grandparents can enjoy the terrace.
Shop:
The shop at Visitor Centre The Poelboerderij is best described as a 'museum shop with VVV function'. The shop offers all kinds of nature-related articles for both children and adults. Think for example of nature books, local handicrafts (things made of wool, wood or ceramics) and art objects. Step inside and check out the wide range!
Living room of Wormer
The Living Room of Wormer is Wormer's hotspot. Come along for a delicious lunch, private dining, cooking workshop or high tea and enjoy the homely atmosphere.
Living room of Wormer
The Living Room of Wormer is Wormer's hotspot. Come along for a delicious lunch, private dining, cooking workshop or high tea and enjoy the homely atmosphere.
From a surprise dinner to a fun cooking workshop, you really can go for anything at the Huiskamer van Wormer. Extra special is that the kitchen and service are partly run by employees who are distanced from the labour market. For the team at The Living Room, this is a great enrichment and a special experience!
From Tuesday to Saturday, the kitchen staff lovingly conjures up the most delicious dishes with fresh ingredients. Take a look at the menu and come and feast.
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