The Hatertse and Overasseltse fens near Nijmegen, a beautiful nature reserve with heather falcon near the city. A popular place for walkers. When the heather blooms in the autumn and the sun rises because of the ground fog, you can usually find some photographers here. The Overasseltse and Hatertse Vennen is a special area with rolling river dunes, many fens and vast heathlands. Although the rivers Maas and Waal are now far away from this area, they are the creators of this landscape. After the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, the Netherlands was a polar desert. Sand from the Meuse bed was blown up into high dunes here by the prevailing south-west wind. De Waal had previously deposited a layer of clay that was compressed into an impenetrable layer. As a result, the rainwater remained in the form of fens. From the 19th century, pine trees were planted here for the Limburg mining industry. Because the fens were in danger of drying out, part of the forest was converted into heathland in 2013. This will preserve the unique flora and fauna that depend on these fens. The Hatertse and Overasseltse Vennen is a fen area of approximately 520 hectares in the municipalities of Heumen and Wijchen, province of Gelderland.
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