Tour of high moors: the Elsenerveld and peat

Your route starts at Camping & Restaurant De Poppe. From here you can take a nice walk to the Elsenerveld en -veen, a real piece of high moor. The peat area was created in the last ice age, when meltwater from higher parts of Europe flowed to the Netherlands. You will find bell gentian, sundew and wool grass. Many birds live in the area where peace prevails: pheasants, nuthatches, various species of tits and woodpeckers, for example. It is part of De Borkeld, a sloping nature reserve where you can see a vast moorland with juniper bushes. Unfortunately, the Elsenerveen has been drying out in recent years, which threatens the special plant growth. Instead of the water birds that belong to the wet peat area, you now see more and more birch trees, which also absorb a lot of water.