Jayalakshmi
A silted-up lake has been transformed into the latest addition to the map of the Netherlands – and an eco-haven teeming with wildlife
Nine kilometres into the vast expanse of the Markermeer, the 700 sq km lake on Amsterdam’s easterly flank, lies a new Dutch archipelago. Five sprawling artificial islands, constructed from sucked-up and refashioned fine silt, clay and shells, offer a haven for plants, birds and other wildlife.
Here nature is king. Only the squawk and song of birds, the light clap of their wings, and the ebb and flow of water on the nearby sandy beach break the island’s silence. The Marker Wadden is an unprecedented feat of engineering and ecological restoration. The island hosts 2,200 breeding couples of common terns, 15 breeding pairs of the rarer little terns and 250 breeding pairs of avocets.
Here is more information from when they started this project to build 5 artificial islands to preserve wildlife – https://www.kindakind.com/post/netherlands-built-5-artificial-islands-to-preserve-wildlife
