Green management

Municipality of Voorne aan Zee manages the public green spaces within the built-up areas of Oostvoorne, Rockanje and Tinte. Think of roadsides, green areas and parks. And also canal and ditch banks. In more and more locations, the municipality is doing this in a nature-oriented way. This improves the quality of the environment for people, animals and plants.

In Hellevoetsluis, green space management has been outsourced to Verheij Integrale Groenzorg.

Nature-oriented management of public green spaces means paying attention to the development of native plant and animal species and biodiversity. Nature-oriented management of public green space includes several projects and activities. These include not only maintenance, such as the way of mowing, but also, for example, the construction of a bank, sowing certain types of flowers, planting certain types of shrubs and trees or placing an insect hotel. Monitoring the projects is also part of it. This way we can see what the effects are on animal and plant species.

The municipality mows the rough grass after June 15, this means a different appearance of the grass and herbs. It will be slightly higher before it is cut. This will create richer, flowering grass and herb vegetation which is a great benefit to biodiversity. Previously, this was done incidentally earlier. At playgrounds and where higher grass poses a road safety hazard, we mow earlier than June 15.
The above applies to rough grass; lawn grass mowing does take place earlier than June 15, starting in mid-March.

The community is increasingly phased mowing. Many bees, bumblebees, butterflies and other beneficial insects need flowers to survive. Young birds also live off these insects again. If everything is mowed at once, it takes too long before there are flowers again. In the meantime, there are then far fewer insects and thus little food for the birds. By spreading the mowing more, the animals can move out.

Municipality of Voorne aan Zee manages the public green spaces within the built-up areas of the former municipality of Westvoorne and Brielle. Think of roadsides, green areas and public gardens. And also canal and ditch banks. At more and more locations, the municipality is doing this in a nature-oriented way. This improves the quality of the environment for people, animals and plants. In Hellevoetsluis green management is outsourced. 

Indigenous annual and perennial seeds have been sown on temporarily fallow land (such as the Kerkplein in Oostvoorne). This gives more color to the environment in the short term and then immediately improves biodiversity. Native seeds have also been sown during redevelopments (such as at the new cemetery in Oostvoorne). In Rockanje, the new Drenkeling neighborhood is being landscaped naturally.

In recent years, several nature-friendly banks have been constructed in the municipality. With a nature-friendly bank, there is an even transition from the water to the grass verge. This transition has natural vegetation that is given time to develop. It is precisely the moist soil that allows for the growth of varied plants. The even transition from water to land also allows animals to move more easily.

Gemeente Voorne aan Zee is deploying nature-oriented management in more and more locations. Meanwhile, nature-oriented management has started on the Strandweg, Nieuwe Achterweg and Dorpsweg in Rockanje, among others. Also in Oostvoorne at De Ruy, De Burcht Hoflaan and Kleidijk the new way of management has started.

To find out whether the new way of managing is having an effect, monitoring is being done. The KNNV (association for field biology), Voorne department will help the municipality with this. In a number of places where the municipality applies the new mowing policy, members of the insect working group of the KNNV, department Voorne, will monitor. They will do this over a longer period (several years) at least 5 times a year (between the beginning of April and the end of September). In order to follow the developments in test strips, the number and species of butterflies are counted. This is a proven method, used for almost 30 years, to map biodiversity Map Diurnal butterflies are an excellent indicator of vegetation. Not only do they need nectar for food, but also certain plant species (host plants) to deposit eggs and raise their caterpillars. Each butterfly species has its own type of "host plant.

Nature-oriented work in the municipality of Voorne aan Zee is discussed and implemented in cooperation with Stichting Landschapsbeheer, bee associations, Zuid Hollands Landschap, Natuurmonumenten, Waterschap Hollandse Delta and our own field service.

In recent years, many different types of shrubs, trees and flower bulbs have been planted in Voorne aan Zee . Nature-oriented management has also been started in several places in the municipality. Furthermore, an insect hotel has been placed at obs De Bosrand in Oostvoorne and in the nature area at 't Waaltje, behind the Dorpsweg in Rockanje. Thus, Voorne aan Zee is becoming increasingly attractive to bees and other insects.

Voorne aan Zee has been officially recognized as a bee-friendly municipality. Voorne aan Zee is buzzing! And that's a good thing, because Dutch wild bees are endangered: half of all 358 species are threatened. 80% of our food crops are pollinated by insects like the wild bee. These useful little critters are crucial to the production of our fruit.

How many bees are there actually now in Voorne aan Zee? And which species are common here? To find out, the national bee census takes place every year. For more information, visit nl. This site also provides tips for making your own garden bee-friendly.