Whatsit Wednesday: Wildlife bridge (ecoduct)

Every time we drive West from our home (which is pretty much every time) we pass under a special bridge. So on our way to singing or a camp meeting in Antwerp, on the way to our Bible studies on Mondays and Thursdays, on the way to the airport in Brussels, we pass under this bridge. And every homecoming from these events is met by this bridge just outside Maasmechelen. 

The highway enters the 60 meter long tunnel through gracious curves, the bushes and even small trees gracefully growing above as the river of traffic passes underneath. This ecoduct was built around 2005 and has proven to be a real help for the wildlife in the area. We live in Limburg, a province that has a lot of woods and natural elements (and a smaller population). But highways can cut up areas like this, leaving wildlife stranded or worse killed by trying to cross the highway. This ecoduct helps. 

In 2021 a 4th check was made on how well the ecoduct has been working and it became clear that it is doing even more than was thought possible. Reptiles and amphibians, like frogs, were some of the wildlife that was supposed to be helped by this massive project bridging the highway. But it is also used regularly by deer, fox and wild pigs as well as ermine, stone marten, and smaller mammals such as the shrew. Crickets, grasshoppers and beetles enjoy the crossing, making some very specific habitat come back to life. 

In the meantime this whole area has turned a few other bridges into ecoducts (though not as spectacularly as Kikbeek) and the province has become known for the various amazing ways to travel by bike among and through the beautiful nature present all around. There are bike paths winding through the trees, stretching over lakes and running along old train tracks. We are reminded of the beauty around us every time we return to the area and drive under this ecoduct. 

Wild Wonderful Wednesday: Hunting in the Ardennes

Hundreds of years ago the forests around where we now have our Bible camp would have been full of wildlife. The few people who lived in the area would have hunted all sorts of animals, including wild pigs and deer. The wolf would have roamed in the area, hunting as well. In the past century hunting of a different sort took place in these woods as soldiers of conflicting countries hunted one another during two world wars. Then the wars stopped, tourists started visiting the area and Bible camp was built (first just tents) in 1965. 

Throughout the years that we have attended and helped with Ardennes Bible Camp (ABK) we have experienced a little bit of this wild life that slumbers still in the woods around camp. Young campers love to run through the grass in our field looking for grasshoppers, butterflies, frogs and maybe even little grass snakes. In the creek babbling along the field they look for frogs and fish (although there are no fish). Periodically they cry out in astonishment as the cows on the other side of the creek come down into the water to drink. 

If you get up early enough in the morning to see the mist rising across the field, you might also surprise a family of deer munching on the tall grass just past the fence marking our land. In recent years we have been able to acquire that land, so the grass is not as high, but we still find signs of the deer visiting this area. But the land that is our camp is just a small postage stamp. Camp is still surrounded by forests full of wildlife. 

Stepping up the steep driveway leading down to our camp we regularly take the kids from a week of Bible camp on a walk through the woods. There is a short walk along the street that passes our camp. This is the most dangerous section as it is in a bend and the cars and motorcycles like to speed along this twisty road. So we make sure that the kids pay attention and walk 2x2 until we can leave the main road after about 100 meters. 

Turning left off the road we can ascend on a rough road between fields where the cows most often range peacefully. The bushhes along the road are full of blackberries and stinging nettle - a delicious risk of thorn and sting to get to sweet reward while climbing higher into the woods. The view back over the village below and into the next valley always elicits cries of awe. 

As we reach the beginning of the woods we have to chose at a typical crossroads: right, straight, or left. Going right looks like it goes downhill. It does just this for a time, again splitting with one section returning to the village. But another section continues higher up the hill. Going straight is clearly a climb and most do not want to go that way after having already climbed a bit to get to this crossroads. It is however the best place to gather blueberries. 

It is the path going left that we usually take. This is a level path running along the field we passed coming up, but just inside the trees of the forest. It follows a narrow, well-worn but muddy path. These days you can see that bikes come this way as well as horses. But if you look closely in the mud, you will also see that the wild pigs know their way through these woods and along this path. 

Each year we have to warn the kids not to pick blueberries too close to the ground. The fox and stone marten roam freely in these woods and like to mark their territory on the low-hanging bushes. So blueberries hanging low may have received a “blessing” that we do not want to share. These stone Martens, something like a weasel, have through the years also made their nests in the nooks and crannies between our building walls and roofs. One might also catch a glimpse of one of these elusive creatures if one is awake and about in the early morning. 

It is during our Fall Camp that we have to take special precautions at camp. This is hunting season. We are not allowed in the woods past sunset and there are areas where we are not allowed at all. Hunters are out hunting the wild boar. More recently we have also learned from the news that the wolf has once again made its way into these areas. 

This past week was our Fall Camp and we had a great group of young people learning about Joseph and how to deal with adversity. This week the younger kids are down at what has become our newest addition of camp Vacation Bible Camp (VBK). The Belgian schools all have a Fall vacation, so this is a good time to be down at camp with friends learning about God. 

The trees are all turning glorious colors, painting the forest in multiple shades of red and yellow and orange. The mist rises in the morning and sets into the field again in the evenings as the various wildlife steps quietly through the forest and fields, wondering who these loud kids are and what they are doing. The kids are simply hunting for a wonderful time and full life in God’s glory. 

Wild Wonderful Wednesday

On this 5th Wednesday we are indeed going wild. Everyone has a bounty of wilderness just outside their door, and it is no different for us. Even if you live in the city, you can find some pretty wild stuff if you open your eyes. Come with us today into our backyard and marvel at what God has made. 

This year we have had full Fall color - even now at the end of November. Our cherry tree is blazing into the winter, giving us a wonderful view to the canal in the background. This is the backdrop of our little bit of the wild. Look down. Look up. Look further away and close by. God has blessed us with all sorts of wonders to enjoy. 

Although it is now colder and we haven’t seen them for some time, we can generally run across some slugs crawling along our terrace and even up the window. In Dutch they are called ‘naked snails’ for obvious reasons. We also have plenty of clothed snails in the yard. 

As we walk further into the yard - stepping very high at the moment because my lawnmower broke down and the grass is quite high - we come across several mole hills. Although we are not too happy with the hills all over the yard (it makes mowing the lawn quite a challenge), it is intriguing to wonder about all the life going on just under the surface. We have only once seen one of these little guys. 

Along the sides of our yard are long stretches of hedge. The one side is a very thorny hedge, in Dutch called ‘May thorn’ (hawthorn in English). Even now there is a constant flurry of little birds flitting in and out, crumbling about with one another, chirping and screeching. We can enjoy these birds from the living room as well, since they also live in the holly tree growing in the neighbors driveway, next to our drive. 

At the back of our yard, outside our hedge and next to the canal, I pile all of the cuttings from the year. The hedge cutting, and cuttings from the trees in the yard (we have a cherry tree and a walnut tree, as well as several other bushes and trees I am not familiar with). In these piles of cuttings live various other critters. In the past we have found hedgehogs roaming the yard and even living in our garage. 

We regularly hear fox in the evening, with their identifiable screeching cry, as if someone were out along the canal I pain. In the summer we hear the frogs calling all night long. If we are up early enough in the morning, we might even see the fox (I have seen him twice) as well as a marten (weasel). The marten’s are endangered, so you cannot dop anything to keep them away, even though they chew through the hoses of your car - one of their favorite places to hide. 

Sitting in the dining room looking out over the yard we can watch the pigeons and blackbirds sitting in the cherry tree. Both of them like to ‘cook’ the cherries in the summer. They pick a hole I various cherries and let it begin to rot. Then they can return later and eat the juice they have created. We compete with the for the cherries. But usually, if we leave them the higher branches, they leave us the lower ones. 

We have also see quail and even a pheasant sitting in the yard under the cherry tree. The quail have wondered across the yard with their young. But they have to be quite careful, since we have various good hunting cats in the street and neighborhood. The dogs have never been able to do any damage, but the cats know their way around a hunting field. 

If we continue through the gate at the end of the yard and walk out to the canal, we can enjoy all of the other water fowl available for perusal: geese of all sizes, ducks, swans and heron. All make their home for a time along this water, disregarding in general the bikes riding by and even ignoring most of the dog owners tied to their animals pulling them along the walkway. 

I haven’t even talked of the various insects and spiders, worms and crawly things the can be found all around the house (sometimes in the house). It is truly amazing what we can see when we open our eyes. I am always thankful for how wonderfully God has made everything. Look around you. Tell me - what do you find?