Duinen van Texel National Park

From south to north the park comprises the following areas: The Hors is at the most southerly point of Texel and is largely owned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence.

The Kreeftenpolder is a dune valley which was formed because a sandbar was built separating it from the coastal plain.

In the valley the Liparis loeselii and the "armbloemige waterbies" (Eleocharis quinqueflora) grow.

Through a ditch with fish ladders, water can escape to the Mok, and three-spined stickleback can enter the Geul from the Wadden Sea.

De Nederlanden is also part of the Muy, in a land improvement project pastures were made.

Because this creek was heavily damaging the dunes on the northern side in May 2004, intervention was needed.

The common eider breeds here, the spoonbill comes to forage and a variety of waders only enter on a high tide.

The Slufter is separated from the North Sea by two long dune strips, this area is called De Lange Dam.

Commonly sighted birds on the island are: greylag goose, brent goose, shelduck, wigeon, eider, scoter, spoonbill, oystercatcher, pied avocet, golden plover, peewit, knot, dunlin, bar-tailed godwit, common pheasant, european herring gull, lesser black-backed gull, black-headed gull, common tern, sandwich tern, short-eared owl and the hen harrier.

Within the dunes itself common mammals to be found are rabbits, hares, hedgehogs, various small rodents (mice, voles) and the stoat.

Located in the Island of Texel, Netherlands, it was built in 1930 and had a seal animal shelter added in 1952.

It is visited by over 265,000 people a year and is the largest centre for nature information in the Wadden Sea.

[4] Ecomare’s stated mission is to improve its visitors’ relationship with coastal and maritime environments, to increase awareness about the fragility of natural resources, and to encourage people to protect them.

Texel Dunes
Sea-Buckthorn near Ecomare
Vegetation in De Nederlanden end of May
De Slufter
Aerial view of De Slufter
De Slufter