AddMire LIFE restoration of the Engbertsdijksvenen raised bog
The Dutch Twente region, close to the German border, is home to Engbertsdijksvenen, one of the Netherlands’ few remaining raised bog areas. Measuring some 1,000 hectares, this is a protected natural area within the European Natura 2000 network. Staatsbosbeheer (The province of Overijssel and the National Forest Service in the Netherlands) have joined forces in the AddMire LIFE project to ensure the sustainable recovery of the Engbertsdijksvenen raised bogs over the next few years. Active raised bogs are capable of storing carbon dioxide, so these steps will equally benefit the climate. Running from July 2019 to mid 2024, the project receives financial support from the LIFE Programme, the European Union's funding instrument for the environment.


Project activities, progress and results
International expertise meeting
AddMire LIFE organised an expertise exchange meeting featuring national and international speakers on Thursday 3 September 2020. The webinar hosted presentations by Matthijs Schouten of Staatsbosbeheer about the raised bog system and how it functions; by Jim Ryan and Chris Uys about raised bog recovery in Abbeyleix (Ireland); by André Jansen and Ulrich Schlette about the raised bog project in Mecklenbruch in Naturpark Solling-Vogler (Germany); and by Frederik Naedts, who discussed the raised bog area ‘de Nol’ on Kalmthoutse Heide (Belgium) and its local challenges. In the afternoon we were welcomed by experts at the Bargerveen site who shared their experiences with us and we saw presentations by Piet Ursem and Adrie Masteling of the Oosterhuis BV firm of contractors. The expert day came to an end with a bicycle tour of the Bargerveen site, and Adrie Masteling, Piet Ursem and Jans de Vries telling us more about some of the area’s sites. You can find the webinar here: www.wegaanlive.nl/bargerveenVerwijst naar een andere website

Project activities
The AddMire LIFE project runs from July 2019 through to mid 2024, commissioned by the Province of Overijssel; Staatsbosbeheer is responsible for the execution as owners of the nature reserve.
The project primarily consists of the following phases:
Preparation
- Applications for permits, licences and permissions
- Tender route for the design and execution
- Planning
Execution
- Filling in ditches and trenches, restoring embankments and compartmentalisation
Monitoring
- Monitoring impact on hydrology and raised bog regeneration
- Monitoring socio-economic impact
This nature reserve helps us learn and understand more about, among other things, the methods and techniques available for retaining rain water. We share our expertise with specialists and conservation and other organisations, both actively and on request. This is where AddMire LIFE provides added value for European expertise development and exchange.
Progress and results
We are currently in the preparation phase, applying for permits, submitting the tender and finalising plans for reinforcing and constructing embankments in the raised bog area. We have also begun shifting vast amounts of sand and loam soil to be used for the repair of existing embankments and the construction of new ones in the area. Works are scheduled to start after the summer of 2021.
Key details
- Project name: Engbertsdijksvenen raised bog restoration (AddMire LIFE)
- Project code: LIFE18 NAT/NL000636
- Duration: 5 years (2019 – 2024)
- Total budget: € 11,750,000
- LIFE funding: € 7,050,000
- Project site: Twente (Netherlands)
Plans, research, reports and brochures
As the project procedes, we will be publishing progress reports on the AddMire LIFE project: Downloads - EngbertsdijksvenenVerwijst naar een andere website
Contact
If you would like to know more about how we work, or if you are planning a similar project, we will be happy to share our expertise with you.
Project manager: Guus Ogink, province of Overijssel
Email: g.ogink@overijssel.nlVerwijst naar een andere website