Route 15: De Marke Harpel

The Ruiten Aa stream valley and the adjoining forests and nature reserves belong to the Natuurwerk Nederland. This is the backbone of nature management. Important nature areas are connected as much as possible. Sometimes by bringing agricultural land under nature management and sometimes by constructing ecological connecting zones, allowing animals (and often with them plants) to move from one nature area to another. The brook valley of the Ruiten Aa is narrow here and there and the nature areas border directly on intensively used agricultural land.

The walk starting in Harpel passes the Metbroek forest near Smeerling and across the Ellersinghuizerveld, a large-scale agricultural area. It was a controversial area for many years. Those involved in the large land development project (the Reconfiguration of East Groningen and the Groningen-Drentse Veenkoloniën), the farmers and the nature managers, both claimed the area. The farmers to farm there and the nature managers to include it in the Nature Work Netherlands and have it serve as a buffer between agriculture and nature in the stream valley. There are valuable woodlands (Liefstinghsbroek and Metbroekbos) and riparian areas there. Natuurmonumenten has now restored the Ellersinghuizerveld area to the situation it was in anno 1850. This area then consisted of wasteland with an open, wide-open character. Part of the nature area has been excavated, so that heathland and sparse grassland have been created again. At the lowest point, part of the fen was restored to its original state. This will benefit plants such as sundew, pilfern and pondweed.

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This is a route of the Stichting Wandelen in Westerwolde and is sponsored by Huisartsenpraktijk Bouwman in Musselkanaal and by B&B de Hiddingh Hoeve, Smeerling 17, 9591 TX Onstwedde, bob.rossingh@outlook.com, tel. (+31)6 50650052.