The Blue Forest

The Blue Forest is an approximately 300 ha large forest and nature reserve in eastern Friesland. Location: in an otherwise agricultural area in the triangle of Haulerwijk, Haule, and Waskemeer. It belongs to the state and is managed by Staatsbosbeheer.
The Blue Forest owes its name, according to tradition, to the bluish color that the forest takes on from the trees growing there. Another explanation of the name is based on the fact that the word "blue" was often used in the sense of "bad, inferior" in the past. This would fit with the fact that the forests were planted on acidic moor and heath soils.
The vegetation mainly consists of coniferous trees, alternating with some dozens of hectares of heath remains. Within it, one finds various desiccated water bodies. In the wet heath areas, one can find a lot of sundew and locally the bell heather.