Isle of Brienenoord – a green oasis in the heart of Rotterdam

Brienenoord Island is a green oasis in the heart of Rotterdam. One can in an area of 21 ha enjoy a surprising number of plant and animal species. The tidal force of the Nieuwe Maas plays an important role. Large grazers (the famous Scottish Highlander) prevent massive afforestation and keep the island shaggy.
Thus it is said on the welcome sign at the entrance of the park. After one and a half hours walking, I unfortunately have not seen a Higlander. Yet I am enthusiastic about this area! So here’s some extra info.

In the nineteenth century some sand banks came to be at the place where now the Isle of Brienenoord is. They grew together and became overgrown with reeds, rush and willow. Early twentieth century the island that thus was created reduced the flow, so part of the sand bank was excavated. The sand from the excavation was used to increment the remaining part and the island of Brienenoord in its current form was born.

The island is over the time used for allotments, as a location for Youth Home and as an oil transshipment point of the NAM. The Island also did service as a dock to build parts for the subway tunnel, on behalf of the North-South metro connection. Early sixties, on the east side of the island, the Brienenoordbrug was built to establish another North-South connection.

Over time, the island is largely covered with forest. Some trees are so old that they fall over. The South Holland Landscape Foundation (Stichting Het Zuid-Hollands Landschap) , which is responsible for maintenance, let these trees to birds as the green woodpecker, wren and jay and many insect species.

Although the island has been used for cultural and industrial purposes and (part of) the island is still used by people for recreational purposes, it’s fair to say that the Brienenoord Island is of ecological value.

In 2003 a trench system was dug in the eastern part of the island that strengthened the tidal force in the region. Freshwater tidal nature is among the rarest types of nature in the Netherlands.

The Nieuwe Maas is a tidal river. Twice a day the water rises and falls up to 175 cm. Not all plants enjoy it to take a ducking with the regularity of the clock. Therefor specific plant species are to be found along the shore edges. One such rarity is the Spin Palustris. The spring flowering plant with yellow flowers is of international importance. At the interface of land and water grows Bulrush, also a typical tidal species.

Many freshwater fish prefer to mate in the shallow water in the gullies. The young fish have to share their ‘kingdom’ with different types of freshwater mussels. For them, the tidal area is perfect too.
The flow can be so strong that edges crumble and steep banks arise. These provide breeding grounds for the Sand Martin and the Kingfisher.

So much for the official text. What I like about the island is diversity. The abandoned docks where the machines were left to become rusty scrap fill me with a sense of melodrama. And the view at the city from this point is fantastic. I continued my walk east along the banks of the Nieuwe Maas, where one can hear the distant hum of the diesels of the barges. Here you can get a good sense of the shaginess of the landscape.

On the far end of the island, beyond the tidal gullies  it is obvious that the park is not only a place for nature lovers. The pillars on which the Brienenoordbrug rests are a colourful display of various forms of graffiti. It’s either because of the drawings and tags, or because of the continuous murmur of cars passing  us over our heads, that this part of the island is rather more urban than natural.

The difference is fascinating! Because I’m used to sound everywhere all the time, I kind of need the distant buzzing of the cars on the bridge to enjoy the silence even more.