Marker Wadden: the making of a bird paradise

Around Hans, in every direction, rolling green carpets of marshland, pockets of thriving reed banks, and stunning sandy beaches unfurl. Together they form the archipelago that is Marker Wadden, found on the Markermeer in the Netherlands – one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe, teeming with vibrant wildlife.  

Setting sail, Hans, and his band of bird watchers scanned the water’s edge for an ever-elusive crowd favourite – the Red-Crested Pochard. Looking into the distance, a glint of light drew his attention to the nearby Marker Wadden 1 boat as the sun reflected off a small plaque positioned towards its bow. It belonged to Natuurmonumenten, and the plague said that the purchase of the boat had been made possible thanks to a gift from a company: Royal HaskoningDHV. 

Pulling his attention back to the search, Hans wondered what his life would’ve been like if Natuurmonumenten hadn’t come to the Markermeer. And would Marker Wadden still be the paradise it is today?  

Roel says, looking back: “But there was a complete loss of inspiration needed to find a solution to help the Markermeer.” Having worked on island projects across Europe including in the Netherlands, UK, Ireland, and France – Roel thought his love for islands could hold the key: “I thought, what if we could not only improve the water quality of the Markermeer – reducing the silt and mud – but create new habitats for wildlife at the same time?” 

Roel put forward a bold vison to create beds of sand and marshes using the lifeless mud. The bottom of the lake could then breathe again and come to life, while the sand could act as a building block for nutrient-rich wetlands. “I was desperate to make it happen.” He says, looking back. But there was a big stumbling block – there was no funding for the project, with estimated costs nearing €50,000,000.  

Roel did have one idea, but it was a little out-of-the-box. He’d heard about something called the Dream Fund of the Dutch National Postcode Lottery –which gives organisations the funds to deliver iconic projects. Roel applied online for €15,000,000 that day.  

Dreaming a way towards reality  

In February 2012, sitting at the Dream Fund’s grand event in Amsterdam, Roel found out Marker Wadden had been successfully granted €15,000,000. To this day it’s a bit of a blur and doesn’t quite seem real, but he still remembers the moment the announcement was made, the sudden feeling of total excitement and elation, and the media frenzy that followed: “There was a huge smile on my face, and let’s just say it didn’t disappear for many, many days.”  

Later that week, Roel made a phone call to Paul Eijssen at Royal HaskoningDHV. The two had been speaking for some time before the event, discussing what parts of the project would need to be planned for in the (rather rare) event of the funding coming their way.  

When it did, the Dream Fund provided a financial foundation and plenty of media coverage, helping the project attract enough investment to reach its €50,000,000 target. The ‘Marker Wadden’ project was given the green light and so was collaboration between Natuurmonumenten and Royal HaskoningDHV that would flourish in the years to come…

Overcoming challenges on the horizon 

Roel first approached Royal HaskoningDHV because of their extensive technical expertise overseeing engineering projects of this scale that build with nature in innovative ways – like Sandscaping at Bacton in the UK – as well as their project management, procedure knowledge, stakeholder engagement and tender process knowledge. The company was assigned to play an advisory role over Marker Wadden, meaning Paul and his team would support with procedures such as the Environmental Impact Assessments, Zoning Plan and permit applications, as well as help prepare tenders and assign the contractor who would realise the project.  

“One of the first jobs, before we even knew Roel had been given funding from the Dream Fund, was drafting a 30-page detailed proposal plan, outlining what needed to be planned for and completed in order for the project to be a success.” Paul says: “The document covered important aspects that would transform the idea into reality, including the necessary procedures that had to be completed and the preparation of the tender. Members of the team each wrote a chapter of the plan based on their own expertise and formulated the steps in a clear and convincing way.”  

Taking a look over the document for the first time, Roel was thrilled: “It read so well and explained things in a simple, understandable way, while still providing a thorough and detailed analysis. It became our guideline that told us exactly what we needed to do before we developed the area.” But it wasn’t all plain sailing and there were several challenges the joint team had to overcome. A vital one, as Paul remembers, was building with silt, mud and sand – the team had to think long and hard about how to actually build islands using the material and ensure they formed into solid, sturdy ground:

A vision that inspires 

It was in 2016 that the team first saw the islands rise from the water – by then, Royal HaskoningDHV had played a role in selecting the contractor and had helped supervise the work. Soon after the appearance of the first island, the water along the shoreline was already clearer and, as the team had hoped, the first few signs of life were starting to appear.  

As the islands continued to rise from the lake, populating the once murky waters, it became clear that the Marker Wadden team would need people to help maintain and look after the landscape. Hans was one of the first of 200 dedicated individuals who volunteered at Marker Wadden. He and his team are responsible for running boat tours for visitors, maintaining the region, and ensuring the area is properly supervised.  

“I spent more than 30 years working for Rijkswaterstaat – and when I retired, I promised my wife that I’d spend the first few months at home taking it easy.” Hans says: “But when I heard about Marker Wadden, I knew I had to get involved. I was first approached for a quick coffee meeting to learn more, and after just 30 minutes, I decided to volunteer. It’s tough being away but my wife understands my decision. After being in nature, and around Marker Wadden, I feel refreshed and always come home smiling – and that’s the most important thing.”