It's a good example of the way nature can combine with a fragment of our cultural inheritance. From now until the end of October, there's even a scenic art route in this Waterloopbos (Waterway through the woods).
t's a strange forest, close to the village of Marknesse. It's rare to see trees and bushes growing so wildly in Holland. But stranger still are the little canals and small walled lakes, the tiny locks and the running water. Fifty years ago, hydro engineers worked here with scale models of water-based engineering projects to test whether they could work in reality. This is the former Hydrodynamic Laboratory, now called the Waterloopbos.
Flying or diving art
Between the trees, on the edge of a large pool of water, stands a tall wooden chair. On the chair is a little man. Is he going to dive into the water or fly away? Artist Pieter van der Pool created him. "I dreamed I was going to make a chair. Then I got the idea to carve the chair out of a tree."
The figure on the top is made of plastic: a better match with the character of the laboratory that used to be here. Pieter van der Pool isn't the only artist whose work is on display in the Waterloopbos. As you wander through the trees, you can find works by 20 other artists from Europe and North and South America.
Sea level inspiration
The theme for the route, explains Pat van Boeckel, the initiator of the project, was climate change and the rising level of the sea.
"We were deeply inspired by the forest itself, where the engineers tested the designs for the Delta Works - a series of dams, sluices, locks, dikes and storm surge barriers built to protect the southwest Netherlands from high water. Now that Dutch engineers are busy elevating the dikes again because the sea level is rising, we thought it would be nice to offer an artistic solution. They measure for real, but with art it's often difficult to measure. It's the beauty that touches you. And it can be absurd, too."
Reclaimed land
The Waterloopbos isn't just of interest to Pat van Boeckel and the other artists; the Nature Reserves Association also finds it fascinating. This association for the preservation of nature has been the owner of the Waterloopbos for six years now and is planning to restore the test structures the hydro engineers left behind. They're doing it because such structures form a part of the Netherlands' cultural heritage, says the association's Teo Wamms:
"If you manage nature in the Netherlands, you also manage its culture, because there isn't a square metre of this country that hasn't been touched by human hands. And here, in this location, people can enjoy a pleasant stroll among trees and water as well as a look at a part of our history. What more could you want?"
Preservation of culture in nature
The Nature Reserves Association owns and maintains a wide range of scenic areas. Earlier this year, the total acreage under its control reached 100,000 hectares. That includes several country estates where they're not only busy looking after the plants and the animals but also the grounds, the stately homes and the farms. Mr Wamms says:
"What we've realised is that we need to offer a mix of culture and nature: it's such a mix that makes the areas we look after so special. And we're trying to develop these locations so that both aspects are shown to their best advantage.
The house and the park or the estates need to be preserved that way, so visitors can imagine they're back in the time when they were at their best. On the other hand, you also need a place where nature can be left alone to take its course. If a tree dies, for instance, then leave it to become a home to fungus and insects. Looking for just the right balance is both interesting and complicated. It's sometimes also expensive to realise."
Dunes and peat bogs
To finance such maintenance, the association has set up a wide-ranging sponsorship operation. At the same time, it's also considering the problems of climate change and rising sea levels. It wants to see more wildlife areas beside rivers functioning as overflow points during floods. Teo Wamms also notes the natural formation of dunes and peat bogs.
"In addition to such technological measures as dams, dikes and flood barriers, you can also give natural forces the opportunity to react to changes. That way you make the Netherlands safer. In the new wildlife areas there's a lot to do: live, work and play. Look at the natural processes and find ways to enhance them, and in so doing, make this country even more robust."
By Philip Smet*
[*RNW translation (ng)]
Radio Netherlands
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In a rambling forest in the Northeast Polder area of the Netherlands, the Nature Reserves Association is restoring scale models of water structures constructed by the nearby former Hydrodynamic Laboratory.
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