Experience Nature - Dwingelderveld - Miniature Sheet

Dwingelderveld National Park is the largest wet heathland in western Europe. This protected nature reserve (Natura 2000) is home to many rare plants and animals. In September 2020, Dwingelderveld was selected as the ‘quietest area in the Netherlands’ by the Dutch Foundation for Noise Pollution (Nederlandse Stichting Geluidshinder, NSG). From a geological point of view, Dwingelderveld is special because of its boulder clay layer. This layer originated during the penultimate ice age, 150,000 years ago. The boulder clay layer prevents rainwater from sinking directly into the ground. Partly as a result of this, special conditions have been created that allow rare and endangered flora and fauna to establish themselves and survive in this area. One of those conditions is the presence of a water system of its own in the area. Human intervention in the area has been limited, resulting in the preservation of the area’s moist, nutrient-poor nature. The vast, moist heathland of Dwingelderveld is made up of wet grabens alternating with dry sand ridges. This has created a lot of variation in plant growth and animal life. Heath, cotton grass and marsh gentian grow in the wettest parts, while heather and mouse-ear hawkweed can be found in the dry areas.