Uitkerkse Polder, protected area in Belgium (E-112)
Uitkerkse Polder is a nature reserve with wetlands and meadows spread across three municipalities along the Flemish coast. The landscape features open grasslands, shallow water areas, and scattered shrubland that together create an important refuge for many bird species.
The reserve was founded in 1991 and covers 1400 ha, making it the largest nature reserve in West Flanders. Natuurpunt has since run two LIFE projects: the first bought 95 ha and recovered 114 ha of meadow with 10 km of ditches, the second began in 2003. Further purchases of 12 ha and about 90 ha around 2008 restored salt meadows.
The reserve is shaped by traditional farming practices where cattle and sheep graze in controlled herds, keeping the meadows open and natural. This way of managing the land is deeply connected to how people have lived along this coast for generations.
The reserve can be visited and offers excellent conditions for bird watching, especially during the cooler seasons. Fixed paths run through the area, and there are viewing points that provide good views across the meadows and water areas.
In the winter of 2008-2009 a snowy owl stayed in the polder, a rarity that made the reserve known among birdwatchers. Between mid-November and mid-February thousands of geese gather here, and about 90% of the European population of the lesser white-fronted goose winters between Ostend and Knokke-Heist, with this polder as a key site.
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