Just a few kilometeres from my home is The Biesbosch National Park.

My family and I love to make cycling-tours through this area.

The Biesbosch National Park is a green maze of several rivers, islands and a vast network of narrow and wide creeks. The area is one of the largest, valuable natural areas in the Netherlands. What’s more, it is one of the few remaining fresh-water tidal areas in Europe.

The Nieuwe Merwede canal divides the National Park equally between the provinces of Noord-Brabant and Zuid-Holland. The

part in Noord-Brabant is called the Brabantse Biesbosch. The part in Zuid-Holland is divided into the Sliedrechtse Biesbosch and the Dordtse Biesbosch. The National Park covers an area of approximately 9,000 hectares.

The vegetation mainly consists of willowwoods that developed out of the willow-shoots of  former withy-beds due to decades of neglect. These marshy woods alternate with grasslands and reed-lands that have run wild with weeds.

The plants and animals which existed before 1970 were all typical of a dynamic fresh-water tidal environment. The tidal  influence of about two metres was reduced significantly in 1970 after closing the open sea connection of the Haringvliet. Of course this had its effects on the flora and fauna. Certain plants and animals disappeared while others took their place. It was a drastic development that forced nature to adapt. The  environmental change in 1970, started a transitional period towards a new natural balance. This transition continues to this day. A new natural balance is not established in just a few decades.

In certain areas of the Biesbosch, nature is managed by as little human interference as possible. In the long term, these areas will probably develop into marshy woodlands, which is the type of woods that used to cover

the wet peat areas in the western part of the Netherlands in the past.

The Biesbosch has always been an important area for birds to rest, forage and breed. This watery area is of such international importance to waterfowl and waders that a large area, the Brabantse Biesbosch has been officially recognised as a ‘Wetland’. This high natural value is confirmed by other European agreements like the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive.

If you are interested in the history and origin of this National Park you can find the entire brochure of the National Park De Biesbosch here:

http://www.nationaalpark.nl/docs/200608310832335560.pdf