Top 14 Natural Monuments around Oostflakkee

Flamingos!😉

An insect hotel is a structure that is specially designed to provide shelter and nesting places for insects. It is often used in gardens, parks or natural areas to support biodiversity. Here is more information about insect hotels: Purpose of an insect hotel • Supporting biodiversity: Insect hotels help beneficial insect species such as bees, ladybirds, lacewings and earwigs to survive, especially in urban or agricultural areas where natural shelters are scarce. • Pollination: Solitary bees, which often use insect hotels, play an important role in pollinating flowers and crops. • Pest control: Some insects, such as ladybirds and earwigs, eat pest insects such as aphids, which can help to naturally maintain plants. Construction of an insect hotel An insect hotel consists of several compartments, each suitable for different types of insects. Commonly used materials include: • Wooden blocks with holes drilled into them: For solitary bees, such as the mason bee. • Hollow stems: Bamboo or reed for small bee species. • Pine cones or straw: For ladybugs and earwigs. • Bark and twigs: For spiders and other small insects. • Loam or clay: For bees that seal their nests with mud.

Along the Oostdijk between the Tonnekreek and Willemstad is 'De Wachter' a special work of art. De Wachter stands exactly on the spot where the storm surge on 1 February 1953 hit and flooded the Ruigenhilpolder. The work of art is an eight-metre-high hill, on which sheep can graze. The work of art De Wachter, by artist Marius Boender, was built along the Hollandsch Diep at the spot where the dike broke during the Flood Disaster in 1953. The reason for the monument was the completion of the dike reinforcement in 2001. The work of art is an eight-metre-high, pyramid-like clay hill, overgrown with grass. You can climb the work of art via a path that winds over the work of art. There is a good chance that you will do so in the company of grazing sheep. The creation of the work of art was a challenge, because factors such as weight (not too heavy), weather resistance (rain and wind) and construction (not subsidence under pressure from visitors) had to be taken into account. Source: https://www.visitmoerdijk.nl/nl/locaties/2645610321/de-wachter

The De Roode Weel wheel was created after a dike breach. It is located in a nature reserve that is part of the Cruijslandse Kreken. This area near the fortified town of Steenbergen is a true paradise for bird lovers. Because it is the domain of, among others, the marsh harrier, water rail, common snipe and little owl. They can be 'secretly' spotted from the birdwatching hut since the beginning of 2018. This architectural masterpiece is located at the bottom of the dike and offers a magnificent view of the Roode Weel. It is made of Accoya wood, just like the picnic jetty at De Blauwe Sluis. This creates unity between the various objects along the West Brabantse Waterlinie. Want to know more? Click through to https://www.zuiderwaterlinie.nl/vestingsteden/natuurgebieden/cruijslandse-kreken

Take a seat and discover the main characters in this water feature. Each season is colored differently. It's up to you to recognize the players. Information boards give tips and reveal external characteristics.

Cycling along the water is never boring.

In 1971, the Grevelingenmeer with a surface area of 14,000 hectares was created by damming. In the past, the Grevelingen was mainly important for oyster and mussel farming. Now this salty lake is an attractive area for water sports. In addition, nature receives a lot of attention. For the benefit of pleasure craft, the Mosselbank has been located on the plate directly in front of the water sports island since 1990. On the other side is Herkingen on the former island of Goeree-Overflakkee. In your field of vision on the right you can see the Grevelingendam. It is one of the most important connections between Schouwen-Duiveland and the mainland. As part of the Delta Plan, this dam was built between Bruinisse and Goeree-Overflakkee in 1961-1965. The northern channel, the Bocht van Sint Jacob, was closed off by dumping a dam of stones using a cable car. On 1 April 1965, the Grevelingendam was opened to traffic.

The Grevelingenmeer is the largest saltwater lake in Europe. It is closed off from tidal water by the Grevelingendam in the east and the Brouwersdam in the west and is therefore considered to be rather stagnant and often oxygen-free water where little underwater life can be expected. That the latter does not apply to all parts of the Grevelingenmeer is evident at Battenoord, where a large group of flamingos has been standing or coming to spend the winter for several years (2022). Some are deep pink, which means that they eat a lot of shrimp and indicates a rich underwater life. At Battenoord you can spot the flamingos near the harbor or at the mills and in recent years (since 2022) you can even spot three species of flamingos there: the European flamingo, Chilean flamingo and the Caribbean flamingo.