Mantingerveld

The Mantingerveld is a nature reserve north of Nieuw-Balinge in the Dutch municipality of Midden-Drenthe. In 1992 Natuurmonumenten started the so-called Action Golden Plover, which aimed to turn a number of small fragmented forest, heathland and peat areas into one large nature reserve by buying up intermediate agricultural land and converting it back into heathland.

In 1992 Natuurmonumenten presented the Plan Golden Plover. With the purchase of agricultural land, four existing nature reserves of Natuurmonumenten - Mantingerzand (66 ha), Hullenzand (25 ha), Lentsche Veen (46 ha) and Martensplek (38 ha) - would be connected to each other to form 900 hectares of nature.

Before 1937, the Golden Plover was a permanent breeding bird in open heathland and raised bogs. In Drenthe there are reports of Zwartemeer and Westerbork (until 1926-1928) and of Rolde (1932). The last Golden Plover in the Netherlands nested in the Fochteloërveen in 1937. The species disappeared as a regular breeding bird due to the large-scale exploitation of the breeding areas and the change of the remaining heathlands due to the disappearance of sheep grazing and the decrease in the periodic burning of the heath.

Natuurmonumenten raised money from its members for the purchase of the land. The four existing nature reserves were among the last wild lands in Drenthe. They had not yet been cultivated when the exploitation of wild land stopped in 1962. By connecting them, Natuurmonumenten wanted to improve the existing shifting sands, heathland, fens, peats, sparse grasslands and shrubs and bushes, restore the connections between the areas and develop valuable new nature.

Plan Golden Plover came across to the local landowners as a power grab. The plan had been discussed with the province of Drenthe, the municipality of Westerbork, the Reest en Wieden water board and the Agricultural and Horticultural Organization (LTO), but not with the local farmers. "At the presentation of Golden Plover, they were confronted with the plan," recalls a municipal official who is still involved in the plan. "The plan to withdraw 900 hectares from agriculture was perceived as a robbery." The farmers saw it as a threat in business operations. The residents of the nearby villages of Nieuw Ballinge and Broekstreek were also initially not involved in the plan. They reacted negatively. Due to the development of nature, they saw their villages become more isolated.

It became clear that a different communication strategy was needed to convince both farmers and residents of Plan Golden Plover. With a lot of consultation at the kitchen table, Natuurmonumenten gradually gained more confidence. It was important for the farmers that Natuurmonumenten offered a good land price, and that the sale was made on a voluntary basis. The fact that Natuurmonumenten had exchange land for farmers who wanted to continue with their business was also an important success factor. Purchase and furnishing The purchase of land therefore went faster than expected. In 2003, Natuurmonumenten already owned 800 ha of the total 900 ha. The interior lagged behind. In 2003, only 195 hectares of the old agricultural land had been converted into nature. The reason for this was that the change of zoning - from agriculture to nature - was delayed until 1998. Another problem was the excavation: excavating the rich top layer of the agricultural land to create a nutrient-poor situation again. Due to delays and the discovery of nematodes and root rot, the companies that were initially going to take the released soil already had less interest, but when wart disease was finally detected, the soil was no longer even allowed to be removed. Eventually, the land was stored on the site itself.

The created Mantingerveld nature reserve is one of the first areas within the Ecological Main Structure where both the process of nature development and the realization of the plan have been evaluated. It is clear that good communication is essential when transforming an agricultural area into a nature reserve. The kitchen table should be sought out to clarify any resistances at the beginning of the whole process, so that they do not hold back the entire development.

Intensive inventories of the nature in the area show that the animal species in particular benefit from the new space. Butterflies in the existing heathlands respond positively. The numbers of ground beetles in existing heathlands and barren lands are increasing. Birds, dragonflies and ground beetles soon manage to settle in the new areas. In addition, waterfowl such as dodaars, teal, snipe, lesser plover and species that love roughs with extensive management, such as the porridge and the bush warbler, especially benefit. As far as flora and vegetation are concerned, it is mainly the more general species that predominate. Target species such as sheep acidification and heath are colonizing the new areas, but the Red List species have not yet been identified. There is discussion about introducing seeds through hay or large grazers. However, there are positive effects due to the reduced load with fertilizers and pesticides, also on the quality of groundwater.

The realization of a contiguous, high-quality nature reserve is slow. Although the fragmentation in the Mantingerveld has decreased with the acquisition of agricultural land, the roads still form major barriers. In addition, the flailing of the roadside vegetation causes a decline of butterflies such as the argus butterfly, the cookie finch, the orange sandeye and the black-spotted skipper. Source: natuurbalans2004

The fens in this area are an indispensable link for life on the heath. Vipers, grass snakes, viviparous lizards and sandhill beetles feel at home here. Amphibians and many insects are completely dependent on these water-filled lows for their reproduction. For plants such as sundew, lavender heath and peat fluff, the proximity of moisture is also a condition of life. On the dry sand ridges, the species richness is somewhat more limited. Although you will often find the most striking plants here, such as shrub heath, crow heath and juniper berries. Together with the various mosses and lichens, they certainly have their value. source: NM

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