Friescheveen has changed: until a few years ago it was still a popular place for rowing, but recently it has become an official rest area. And that means that people are no longer allowed to come there.
“I can’t prove it,” says ranger Bart Zwiers of Natuurmonumenten: “But if I count: ‘beaver, pine marten, otter, sea eagle’ then I certainly believe that it is very good for nature that we turn the Friescheveen into a rest area. have made.
The Friescheveen near Paterswolde is a unique piece of nature: a peat lake surrounded by a jungle of alders, ferns, blackberries and honeysuckle. Until a few years ago you could rent rowing boats at a café on the Meerweg, but that is no longer possible: the café is closed and the boats are gone, “And they won’t come back either,” says ranger Bart resolutely. “The area needs peace and quiet and that cannot be combined with recreational boating.”
The walking path around the area is also closed: “It was often barely passable, and it also became too dangerous due to fallen trees. There will now be a new route a hundred meters further on. That is a bit further from the water, but you have more views over the Lappenvoort polder.”
The last part of the Drentsche Aa flows through the Lappenvoort polder. The area has now been redesigned: the water level is getting higher, and that gives opportunities to the white fritillary: “It used to grow here by the thousands. They were picked en masse for residents of the city of Groningen. Now there are only a few left.”
To save the fritillary, a breeding project has been started. Another natural wonder in the area is the white-tailed eagle’s nest. That must not be disturbed either: “We have therefore hung cameras around the nest and they warn us if a spillway tries to get too close.” That has happened once so far: “A nature photographer wanted to photograph the nest up close. They had to ban those people.”
Tags: Het Friescheveen recreational lake rest area
