If you live near Rotterdam or go on holiday, an outing to the Buijtenland van Rhoon nature and recreation area should not be missing from your bucket list. Less than ten kilometres by bike from Rotterdam, you will find this nature-friendly polder on the surprisingly green island of IJsselmonde. Here you can leave the delusion of the city behind and unwind. But you can also learn all about nature-inclusive agriculture here. Enjoy a local beer in town. And then come by bike to this polder to relax and see how your lager was made.
Island of IJsselmonde: Rotterdam's backyard
In cooperation with the Buijtenland van Rhoon and Ontdek IJsselmonde
For this sustainable outing, I descend to the Eiland IJsselmonde, a surprisingly varied nature area between Rotterdam and Dordrecht. Even for many Rotterdammers and holidaymakers from the region, this is still an undiscovered gem. Here you will find beautiful nature areas, sometimes well hidden behind residential areas or industry. But once found, it is great for walking, cycling, sailing or bird-watching. On Eiland IJsselmonde, you will find green oases with rare pilot whales, rugged storm forests, landscape gardens and special polders. One of those special polders is the Buijtenland van Rhoon. I was invited here on a press trip to see for myself how beautiful this area is and how hard work is being done here to preserve and improve nature.
The Buijtenland of Rhoon
IJsselmonde Island has an awful lot to offer, including the nature-friendly polder: the Buijtenland van Rhoon. I came especially for this. This is a unique agricultural project where farmers, recreational entrepreneurs and nature lovers have joined forces in a cooperative to show how things can be done differently: agriculture and recreation with respect for nature. At this site, honest food is made for Rotterdam residents, but the area is large enough to provide ingredients for more sustainable food entrepreneurs. If you're from Rotterdam, you've probably heard of bread from Das Brot, beers from the Vaanbrewers or Fat & Lazy, cider from CiderCider and gold-of-pleasure oil from The Buytenhof. Exactly, these entrepreneurs get their ingredients from this area.
I learnt this as I was led by area manager and nature guide Arjan Ponsen started walking the new trail. A great outing to do by yourself or with guidance if you are interested in nature and local, sustainable food.
Cutlural historic polder landscape
The polders of the Buijtenland van Rhoon were man-made from silted-up sea clay. Before the reclamations, water flowed in and out of this place for centuries. Most of the polders in this area have disappeared, making way for residential areas, infrastructure, port works and greenhouses. The Rhoon polders have always remained intact, part of which has now become the Buijtenland van Rhoon. In 2018, farmers in this area switched to nature-inclusive agriculture, which is small-scale farming with respect for nature.
This is a unique project, as it is the first project in the Netherlands where nature, agriculture and recreation take place on such a large scale. But the project is far from finished. Historic crops have returned, nature-friendly banks and paths have been created and every day farmers are doing their best to bring nature back into balance while farming. In the coming years, the area, which covers six hundred hectares, will see even more recreation. In short, even more to enjoy strolling through nature so!
Strolling through the nature-friendly polder of the Buijtenland of Rhoon
Got excited about this area and want to go for a stroll too? With the following tips from nature guide Arjan, you are guaranteed a beautiful day and the area will come alive even more:
- Starting point bicycle tour: the Buytenhof (Rijsdijk 98, Rhoon) and restaurant Abel (Albrandswaardsedijk 194, Portugaal) are perfect starting points for the cycling tour (‘De Buijtenroute’).
- Starting point hike: Each corner of the Buijtenland will soon have its own entrance with parking facilities. Currently, one entrance is ready: the Johannapolder, where restaurant Abel is also located.
- Have a hearty appetite after a walk or bike ride? Then De Buytenhof tearoom or Restaurant Abel a perfect place to perch. Of course, products from the area are also on the menu here and you can sample Rhoon beers here. Restaurant Abel is more than just a restaurant, you can also experience all sorts of things. It is also possible to book a basket of goodies online in advance, which you can take along during the trip.
- Above all, bring your shopping bag too! The regional products that you come across during the tour, you can buy afterwards at The Buytenhof, The Vossenburg and in the city on the Rotterdam Harvest Market.
- Make sure you have headphones or earphones with you so you can listen to the podcast with great stories about the area.
- During your tour, you will come across many small-scale agriculture against: small fields where all kinds of crops are grown with respect for nature. Around these fields you will find lots of nature, such as faint banks and lots of greenery. I did this walk in July and enjoyed the many butterflies, dragonflies and bees around me. Be sure to take a moment to stop by the fields. There are also signs, so you can see what is being grown and to which local entrepreneur/product the proceeds of the harvest go. While strolling, we also came across a number of farmers. Feel free to talk to them to find out more about their approach. And if you become enthouast, you can buy the products afterwards in one of the farm shops or speciality shops in Rotterdam.
- Come bird watching (and don't forget your binoculars): the area is also making every effort to attract more birds and to allow certain birds to winter here. On arrival, I immediately spotted a marsh harrier. See more about the different species in the area and the approach to attract more birds to the area.
A guided nature tour through the Buijtenland van Rhoon nature and recreation area where you can see how nature-inclusive agriculture is possible. That is agriculture that respects and preserves sufficient nature and thus biodiversity.
- Enjoy everything the country has to offer us: apples, pears, vegetables, eggs, potatoes, primal grains, flax, gold-of-pleasure, you name it.
- Take a look at the various orchards: There is even an old orchard in the area. Fruit species that are almost non-existent in the Netherlands still grow here. Therefore, this is very well protected.
- Talking about different species: this area is also home to the crop huttentut grown. Although this crucifer has been part of our culinary heritage for thousands of years and is also very good for our biodiversity, this crop is hardly found in the Netherlands anymore. Gold-of-pleasure has given way to rapeseed and rapeseed which have higher yields. A shame, because gold-of-pleasure oil has a special, distinctive taste (a bit asparagus-like) and also grows later in the year. In the polder, farmers choose to bring back this crop on a small scale.
- Also growing in the area are very rare flowers. Rare plant species also grow on some flora acres. According to Arjan, flowers even rarer than the giant panda grow there, such as broad spurge and ovoid snapdragon.
Want to know more about this special nature reserve?
- See more about the new stroll route.
- See more information on the Buijtenland van Rhoon.
- See more information on the Island of IJsselmonde.
- Download the route map here.
- For organised walks and fun activities in the area: check the agenda.
More sustainable tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Want to know more about how sustainable agriculture can work in our country? Check out Wouter's food forest story.
- Sustainable accommodation in Rotterdam? You can do so at eco design hotel The Usual.
- Want to know more about local and seasonal food? Watch Flang's story and how he runs errands in nature on Terschelling.
Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.
