Natuurgebied Wijffelterbroek

The Wijffelterbroek was originally a large and wild swamp. Less than a hundred years ago, residents of Stramproy went to Wijffelterbroek to fish in the fens or in the shallow pools. After that, the area became increasingly drier. Trenches were dug for drainage, pools were filled in and high sand hills were excavated. Only part of the area remained more or less wet. That is the old Elzenbroekbos. In that Elzenbroek, special plants such as the large buttercup and solomon seal grow and the rare small kingfisher butterfly flies there in the summer. If you want to see these butterflies, you have to be tough, because the forest is full of mosquitoes in the summer. Large parts of the Wijffelterbroek have changed shape in recent years. Intensive agriculture gave way to rugged nature. Suddenly extra water is needed again, so drainage pipes could be removed again. The result is a, still young, nature reserve where countless special animals and plants have returned. A number of rare plants react immediately to the changes; marsh deer hay, pilfern and small sundew returned in pools that were dug open again. Damp grasslands turn pink again because of the real cuckoo flowers and in the grasslands waders such as curlew and lapwing breed again. Nowadays, these lands also contain primeval cattle, the Taurossen, which naturally keep the grassland short by grazing. Note: it is important to always keep a minimum distance of 25 meters from the grazers!