Solar park Woudbloem

Remarks

Next to the 29.5-hectare solar park, 12.4 hectares of permanent nature will be added adjacent to the Roegwold nature reserve. The added nature forms an essential natural link. Because the zoning plan is being changed, this nature will remain even after the (temporary) solar park is gone.

Thanks to the creation of nature-friendly banks, the ditches become perfect habitats for water soldiers and, thus, for the green hawker dragonfly, which depends on this aquatic plant for its survival.

In the southwest corner of the planning area, there is space to create a large, deep pool. The sand will be used to create a sand martin wall. This large pool can also stimulate the growth of water soldiers, which allows the green hawker dragonfly to reproduce. This rare, protected dragonfly species lays its eggs only on water soldier plants, and the larvae live on these plants. Water soldiers and the green hawker dragonfly already occur in the Woudbloem nature reserve.

Sand martins use natural steep banks along rivers and open waters to nest in holes. They dig a tunnel in these banks, sometimes up to 120 cm long, with a nest cavity at the end. In the Netherlands, these birds also nest in artificial steep edges, such as excavations or sand deposits. They are colony breeders, so if a suitable nesting site is available, a whole colony usually settles immediately. Many of the natural nesting sites have disappeared. Creating appropriate nesting sites for sand martins often leads to immediate site colonization.