Hulshorsterzand - Hulshorst

At the beginning of the 18th century, there were still some 7,500 hectares of shifting sands in this region. The landscape was created by cutting down trees, roaming sheep and cutting heather for the potting shed. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, a lot of forest was planted, which caused a lot of shifting sand to disappear. Despite this, Hulshorsterzand is still one of the larger shifting sands of the Veluwe with a size of around 170 hectares.

Thanks to Natuurmonumenten, in cooperation with the EU and the province of Gelderland, the shifting sand and heathland have expanded further. Endangered species such as the sand lizard, moorland butterfly, antelope and nightjar have been given more room to live. Roaming sheep ensure that more heather will soon grow there.

The organisations are still rolling up their sleeves in the Hulshorsterzand. The aim is to reconnect the sand drift with the heathland of Nunspeet, just as it once was.