De Wieden – the largest lowland marsh in Northwestern Europe – is a nature conservation project in the Dutch province of Overijssel that falls under the Natuurbouw banner. Several plant and animal species within this nature reserve are under pressure due to the loss or deterioration of the local habitat.
To address some of the biodiversity and climate challenges of the modern era, three years ago Boskalis established a service line that focuses solely on important habitat restoration projects in the Netherlands.
“Boskalis Natuurbouw” helps both public authorities and nongovernmental bodies realize construction projects whose primary purpose is to enhance nature conservation and stem the problem of biodiversity decline. At the same time, these generally smaller-scale projects help Boskalis to develop more innovative work methods that can be applied across the company and also generate circular resources such as sand and soils for use on other projects.
De Wieden – the largest lowland marsh in Northwestern Europe – is a nature conservation project in the Dutch province of Overijssel that falls under the Natuurbouw banner. Several plant and animal species within this nature reserve are under pressure due to the loss or deterioration of the local habitat. In line with the objectives of the European Union’s Natura 2000, the province of Overijssel is striving to restore these habitats and boost the numbers of several rare species, including the large fire butterfly and the corn crake and marshland birds such as the bittern, spotted crake and great reed warbler.
To accomplish this, a team of in-house Boskalis ecologists are using various techniques. These include widening waterways, constructing embankments for higher ground and barriers to regulate water flows, and creating more gradual transitions between areas of water and land.
Working with heavy equipment within a protected nature reserve presents a number of challenges. Scheduling has therefore taken account of the rare flora and fauna that are present and has been carefully planned around the birds’ breeding seasons. For their own protection, certain species of fish were captured and temporarily relocated before work began.
We also use large steel plates to protect the marshland during excavation works and the transportation of material. Since much of the wildlife is sensitive to nitrogen – a factor that has contributed to the biodiversity decline – it is vital that we limit our own emissions during the project. An electric excavator has been deployed to minimize nitrogen oxide and carbon emissions while other equipment is run on biofuels.
