Utopia mudflat guards sleep under Texelana duvets
The Wadden keepers on the Waddendijk near the Utopia nature reserve are warm at night. In their Wadden keeper's hut they sleep under duvets made of sheep's wool.
The duvets are a gift from Willem Jan and Frida Kraanen of Texelana, sponsor of the Wadwachtershut of Natuurmonumenten. Volunteer mudflat rangers stay there on a rotating basis from March to the end of August. Such as Wenda and Anton de Koning from Scherpenzeel, who keep an eye on the Utopia nature reserve inside the dike and De Schorren outside the dike for a week. "We live here with nature. There is so much to see and experience here. This morning, for example, we counted 31 different species of birds," they say, looking out over nature, where further on a spoonbill scrapes its food.
The Wadwachtershut is located on the Texel “Bird Boulevard”. Texel has a great wealth of birds. Nearly 400 different species of birds have been observed on the island. Birdwatchers come from far and wide to view and study them. The Bird Boulevard is the route along the east side of the island, with many wetland nature reserves where all kinds of birds settle.
Bird watching is a fun activity, even for those who don't know anything about it. In spring and autumn, the area surrounding the lighthouse, where many birds passing through make a stopover, is a “hotspot”. Birds that have gone off course also land there, called “wanderers” by bird watchers.
The Wadwachtershut at Utopia is also a popular viewpoint. During the season, no fewer than 50,000 visitors pass through. About 20,000 stop there, many of whom are informed by the mudflat rangers.
So there is a lot to do during the day and a good night's sleep is important. It can cool down considerably at night on top of the dike. The guards stay wonderfully warm under sheep's wool duvets and pillows from Texelana. "We think the Wadwachtershut is a great initiative, which we are happy to support in this way," say Frida and Willem Jan.
You can stay nice and warm under sheep's wool during cold nights, but did you know that it also remains pleasantly cool under such a duvet during warm summer nights? Sheep wool has a high insulating value. Sheep wool clothing has the same properties. Moreover, it is comfortable. That is why sweaters, pants, socks, shoes and other products from Texelana are ideal for a wonderful walk through nature.
