National Park De Peel is a vast, water-rich and quiet raised bog area that is especially known for its many bird species and unique history.
Once, National Park De Peel was an impenetrable swamp with wet peat bogs and dense layers of raised bog. Today, it is a vast and expansive area with different types of landscapes. Water, swamps, heathlands, forests, and surrounding farmlands attract various special species of plants and animals. You will find many bird species here in particular. The Groote Peel is so important for waterfowl that it is an internationally recognized 'wetland'.
After the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, it became warmer and wetter in the Netherlands. In the Peel region, pools, known as "peelvennen," formed where plants like reeds and bulrushes grew. When these plants died, they didn't decompose due to the lack of oxygen underwater. Thus, the dead material accumulated layer by layer: the beginning of fen peat.
At the edges of this peat bog appeared sphagnum moss, a plant that absorbs water like a sponge. It grows, nourished only by rainwater, continuing to grow at the top while dying off at the bottom. Slowly, a thick layer of peat formed, growing ever higher. In some places, it is five to six meters thick. Thus, over thousands of years, the wet marsh transformed into a raised bog landscape.
The poor and acidic soil ensures that plants grow here which you hardly see anywhere else. Like the carnivorous sundew, which captures insects with sticky tentacles on its leaves. In turn, raised bog plants attract rare animals. For example, the larvae of the Northern White-faced Darter dragonfly like to hide in sphagnum moss.
Because peat consists of plant remains, it burns well in dried form (turf). From the 13th century onwards, people began digging peat in De Peel for this reason. For a long time, it was the most important fuel, and therefore more and more turf was extracted. On Brabant soil, this was done on a large scale by the firm Van der Griendt, which dug long straight waterways and canals to transport 'the black gold.' On the Limburg side, every farmer extracted turf on his own leased piece of land and transported it in a cart. This led to the creation of peat pits of various sizes and narrow 'peat lanes' spread across De Peel.
All that work by the peat cutters significantly changed the landscape. The densely vegetated raised bog turned open and watery. There was also room for heathlands and forests. If you walk through the area today, you will still see large water bodies, small peat pits, and long lines as 'scars' of the peat cutting past. You can even see the difference between Brabant and Limburg peat extraction in the landscape.
Known as a water-rich area, De Peel National Park is even an internationally recognized 'wetland'. Here you will find water pools, fens, and marshy bogs. In and around this water, life abounds.
You might think that many types of fish live in all that water. But nothing could be further from the truth. The water is acidic and low in oxygen, and most fish cannot survive in it. Yet you will find the American mudminnow in De Groote Peel. This small fish is not naturally found here, but it can withstand the special conditions and is therefore an important food source for fish-eating birds, such as the bittern and great crested grebe.
What you do find a lot of underwater are numerous aquatic creatures and larvae. Dragonflies, damselflies, frogs, and toads use ponds and pools as mating places and nurseries. A special species is the moor frog. The males turn blue during the mating season in March and make a 'popping' sound. The aquatic life also attracts many species of water and marsh birds, such as the teal, water rail, and marsh harrier. With a buffet of plants, small aquatic creatures, frogs, eggs, and young birds, there's something tasty for everyone.
The best spots to observe aquatic life up close can be found in De Groote Peel. There are two large bodies of water here. At the Meerbaansblaak, you'll find a viewing platform and bird-watching hut. In the heart of De Groote Peel lies the water body 't Elfde, which you can walk right through.
National Park De Peel is a paradise for birds. About 100 species, such as the bluethroat, little grebe, and black-necked grebe, can be spotted all year round. During bird migration in the spring and fall, you'll find many other unique birds here. They fly over, settle down, or spend the winter in the area.
One of these species is the crane. With a long neck, slender body, graceful tail, and tall legs, it looks exotic. Cranes love vast wet nature, preferably raised bog or wet heath. National Park De Peel is therefore the perfect stop during their journey to Northern and Eastern Europe, where they eventually breed. Sometimes, De Peel even becomes a nursery for cranes. In 2022 and 2023, chicks were successfully born in the area.
Discover more about the birds of De Peel during a bird excursion with the ranger. Or take your binoculars and go exploring yourself. For instance, from the bird watching hut at Meerbaansblaak or on the Amsloberg in De Groote Peel.
Also characteristic of De Peel is the open landscape, where you can gaze endlessly and the inhabited world seems far away. The ground is covered with heather, cotton grass, sand ridges, and in some places a tree. Amidst the silence, you hear birds singing and the wind rustling through the bushes.
The Peel is a unique butterfly area. Here you will find species that are hardly seen in the rest of the country, such as the small pearl-bordered fritillary. This little butterfly loves wet areas and lays its eggs on purple moor-grass. In De Peel, you have a greater chance of spotting this species. You may also encounter the rare marsh gentian here. Another species that likes to be found in wet heath or raised bog is the viviparous lizard. In warm weather, you can see it sunbathing on the boardwalk.
In the higher parts of the landscape, the soil is drier. Here you will even come across sand ridges. For example, at Amsloberg in the eastern part of De Groote Peel. In the heathland of this area, Shetland ponies graze, which you can visit during a walk over the horse grazing area. At the end of summer, you can admire the blooming purple heath here. You can also spot the smooth snake. Don't worry, this snake is not venomous and not aggressive, but it is remarkable to see it sunbathing at the edge of the path.
In parts of National Park De Peel, you will find small forests. A tree that you see a lot here is the birch. This pioneer species thrives on dry and poor soil. After the peat diggers excavated and drained the area, De Peel was the perfect ground for the birch. Unfortunately, birches evaporate a lot of water, which keeps the soil dry. To restore the area back to wet bog nature, the birches are removed in some places.
In the densely vegetated forests of National Park De Peel, various species of mammals hide. They are very shy and choose to rest among the trees and shrubs during the day. Evidence that they are present can mostly be found in the form of tracks. Disturbed soil by wild boars, tracks of deer, or droppings with a ‘tuft’ from a fox. If you venture out very early, you might encounter a deer.
