Natuurmonumenten, Staatsbosbeheer, the Polish Society for the Coast and Eurosite have joined forces and created the Grazing Study Tour on 9,10 and 11 May 2023! This tour throughout the Netherlands will give participants the opportunity to visit different areas with conservation grazing, and learn about their unique management objectives. The ecological, economical and societal aspects are important aspects covered in the tour.

The first day will start with a visit to the Oostvaardersplassen, one of the most influential and maybe controversial rewilding areas in the Netherlands. The next stop will be at National Park Veluwezoom, a 5000-hectare nature reserve on the southern flank of the Veluwe. Here, new approaches of nature management are highlighted where natural processes are favored to enrich biodiversity.

On the second day several sites will be visited near the river the Maas. The first stop is Millingerwaard. A site that demonstrates how both people and wild nature can benefit when natural processes are given space to reshape landscapes. The herds of Galloway cattle and Konik horses graze the floodplains of the Millingerwaard and contribute to the creation of a mosaic landscape. We will travel further along the river, to learn about the relation between farmers and natural grazing. If there is time, we will stop at the Noordwaard, an area near the Biesbosch that has been transitioned to nature, combined with flooding prevention for downstream cities. You will hear the story of this restoration project, its grazers and the relation between grazing and climate change.

On the third day there is an inspirational workshop on natural grazing and ecosystem services. What are the newest insights on ecosystem services related to grazing? What are the best practices? Various experts will be invited to share their knowledge. We will end the workshop with concluding remarks and a preview of the second part of the tour in Poland.If you have any questions about this tour, please get in touch with us via: info@eurosite.org or grazingtour@natuurmonumenten.nl.

Latest information about the tour: https://www.eurosite.org/event/grazing-study-tour/

All costs, including accommodation for 2 nights (Tuesday night and Wednesday night), lunches, dinners and bus travel, are covered by the organisers.

Participants must cover their own travel costs to the Netherlands. Detailed participant info will follow shortly upon registration. Starting point will most probably be train station Amersfoort in the middle of the Netherlands; the tour will start on Tuesday May 9 2023, early in the morning.

Please do not book your train or flight trips before you have received final confirmation of the tour organisation.

The Eurosite Grazing Study Tour 2023: visiting nature in The Netherlands