REED CUTTER
Thanks to active recovery management, the wetland Weerribben-Wieden in the head of Overijssel is one of the few places in the Netherlands where nature is doing well. The reed cutters in this area have a crucial role in this result.
The reed-cutter families have been working in this area for 8 generations to harvest the reeds and use them for roofing. The reeds of the Weerribben-Wieden are proven to be the best in the world. However, Dutch reed cutters can only meet 15. percent of the demand, with the rest of the reeds coming mainly from China.
In addition to the high quality of the reed, the product is also very beneficial for the environment. “A hectare of reed absorbs as much CO2 from the air as a hectare of forest. This is retained in the stem.
Because the cut reed is put on the roof, the absorption of CO2 occurs every mowing season,” says reed cutter Harold Lok. “If you don’t cut the reed, the root dies and you don’t get nearly the amount of CO2 absorption as when you do cut it,” adds brother Stefan. Reed also purifies the water of all kinds of substances, allowing nature to fully recover.
Nowadays the reed cutters are also involved in nature conservation in the area. They know the area better than anyone else and take care of its maintenance. Indeed, the Weerribben-Wieden is an important environment for large groups of marsh birds and numerous other animal species.
“If the reed cutters were to stop doing their work, within 4 years the landscape will coarsen into a swamp forest. The state of nature in the Weerribben-Wieden with its rich biodiversity is there thanks to reed cutting,” says Stefan.
