A herd of wild konik horses graze in the rugged Slikken van De Heen nature reserve. The dark sky indicates that it has just rained, so the horses' coats are still completely wet.
The picture also shows the yellow and poisonous Jacob's wort, also known as St James's wort. The plant spreads easily in open or bare spots in the pasture and on barren undergrounds where the soil has been trampled.
The area consists of former sandbanks, mud flats and salt marshes and has lush flora and fauna. In 1987, the area, which previously bordered the Eastern Scheldt and thus had saltwater, was closed off by the Philips Dam and then dried up and desalinated. The konik horses provide grazing and thus promote variation of the vegetation.
They thus help keep the area open and promote biodiversity naturally.
Slikken van de Heen is a varied area on Tholen and is managed by Het Zeeuwse Landschap.
Als professioneel vakfotograaf kom ik vaak op te gekke locaties om beeld te maken. Dit kan zijn in de natuur maar ook in steden met bijzondere architectuur of reisreportages. Neem een kijkje in mijn shop of kijk op www.ariestormfotografie.nl.. Read more…