Environmental volunteers launch cleanup and habitat restoration efforts in the Netherlands

Environmental conservation efforts are underway across the Netherlands, focusing on water quality and habitat preservation through volunteer initiatives.

In Friesland, the annual ‘Skjin Wetter’ cleanup campaign organized by the Friese Milieu Federatie (FMF) runs from October 3 to October 10. Volunteers in the Harlingen municipality, including groups from the Maritieme Academie Harlingen and the Zeekadetkorps Harlingen, are working to clean streets, banks, and waterways. The campaign emphasizes that water quality is threatened not only by visible litter like plastic and cans but also by invisible pollutants such as microplastics, PFAS, and medicinal residues.

In the dunes of IJmuiden, IVN Zuid-Kennemerland is collaborating with the local municipality to restore toad pools near IJmuiderslag. Volunteers will perform maintenance tasks, including mowing reeds and grass and removing willow growth, to prevent the pools from overgrowing. These efforts aim to preserve essential breeding grounds for amphibians like frogs, toads, and salamanders, while promoting biodiversity for insects, birds, and other wildlife.