Bargerveen Nature Reserve, Nature reserve and Ramsar site in Drenthe, Netherlands.
Bargerveen is a nature reserve covering around 2,000 hectares of peat bogs, heather fields, and lakes in eastern Netherlands. The landscape is dominated by Sphagnum moss growing in wet areas, and it provides homes for many bird species throughout the year.
The peat bog formed after the last ice age when Sphagnum moss began growing in freshwater areas and gradually expanded over thousands of years. During the 1800s, peat extraction became the main economic activity and reshaped the landscape significantly.
The nearby Veenpark displays preserved peat trains that represent the region's heritage of turf extraction. These railway exhibits show how important this resource was to the area's economy and way of life.
The Veenloopcentrum in Weiteveen serves as the main starting point for walking trails through the peatland and provides information about the landscape. Visitors should wear appropriate footwear and clothing for wet conditions, as the ground can be damp and boggy.
The reserve contains the last living Sphagnum moss bogs in the Netherlands, where the plants continue to grow in small water pools called meerstallen. These rare pools are essential for preserving this botanical feature, as peat extraction destroyed the original bogs in most other areas.
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