Netherlands
Kweldercentrum Noarderleech
Noarderleech 5a
Hallum 9074 TG
Netherlands
Main activities:
On 4 October the new visitor centre Kweldercentrum Noarderleech in Noard-Fryslân Bûtendyks near the village of Hallum in the province of Fryslan, the Netherlands, was opened. The visitor centre was built by the provincial nature conservation organisation It Fryske Gea, which manages the area, and financially supported by the provincial government and the Dutch Wadden Fund.
With its almost 4,200 ha Noard-Fryslân Bûtendyks is one the largest salt marsh areas in the Wadden Sea and measures some 3 km in width from the sea wall out to the pioneer zone in its broadest place with summer dikes covering part of it. The area has an exceptional history: In 1987 the Dutch Administrative Court by decision halted the reclamation of the area. It Fryske Gea has since managed the area and is now the owner of larger parts of the salt marshes and aims to restore the area stepwise by opening the summer dikes and exposing it to the natural dynamics of the Wadden Sea. The visitor centre tells the story about the area and its remarkable biodiversity. From the visitor centre, which is open to the public free of charge, it is possible to visit the area and experience the stunning beauty of this part of the Wadden Sea World Heritage.
