The story

About a year ago we conducted the first biodiversity scans with a number of Wij.land farmers. During the scans, farmers receive advice on how to design their farmyard in a more environmentally and animal-friendly way, like by improving bird and insect habitat. Now one year after the first scans, the first results are visible.

Nest boxes, flowers and trees

The very first yard scan was carried out at farmer Wouter van Oostrum in Maartensdijk last year. His yard was already green, but he saw many more opportunitie, “I want it to be buzzing with life here,” said Wouter. Now a year later,  he has built a beautiful insect hotel and made hedgehog boxes.

And action is happening on other farms. Willem-Jan Jansen – a cattle farmer from Weesp – has sown a flowery border along his stable and planted various (fruit) trees. An orchard has been planted at Albert Blommestijn, cattle farmer in the Kwakel. In more and more areas nature is being created on the farm by means of small actions.

Nature-friendly banks and meadow birds

But the farmers’ gaze goes beyond the yard. Willem-Jan Jansen from Weesp has set up a plot for meadow birds in collaboration with the Noord-Holland Zuid collective. He constructed a high-water ditch there with a lake berm (a wet strip along the bank of one meter wide). The meadow birds have not yet brooded there this year, but the water in the ditch was extremely clear and there were special species such as spring moss, hollow pipe, fountain weed and garland weed and it was brimming with insects.

An image for

A solar-powered pump keeps the water level high for the meadow birds.

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