Ecomare, Center for the wadden and North Sea

Ecomare is the Center for the wadden and North Sea on Texel. Here you can learn much about the nature on Texel, the tidal flats and the North Sea, and about the influence of mankind in this region. The center is situated in a 70 hectare-large Dune Park and consists of a visitors center and a museum with an extensive exposition (including a large sea aquarium complex), a seal and bird sanctuary, a nature and environmental educational center and an information center.

Seal sanctuary

More than twenty seals form a permanent population at Ecomare, giving birth every summer to six O eight young. In addition, a number of young seals from the wild who have lost their mothers and sick seals are cared for here. Those young born at Ecomare and the rehabilitated 'wild' seals are returned to the Wadden Sea. The seals are fed daily at 11 am and 3 pm, a highlight to one's visit.

Bird Sanctuary

Ecomare mainly cares for seabirds that have been wounded, weakened or covered in oil. A few birds which live in groups, such as gannets, are permanent inhabitants at the sanctuary due to their handicap. These birds play the role of host for other sick or weakened birds, which recover better when put together with one of its own species. At the bird sanctuary, the public is informed via video and information boards about the species, the causes of the problems and the manner in which they are rehabilitated.

Museum

There are always temporary exhibits. From 2008 to 2010, the exhibit 'Texel Hot - Cool', about the climate, is being exhibited. The previous exhibit was 'Ghosts in the Sea', which is now being displayed in the Frisian Nature Museum. In the permanent exhibit 'Living on an island', Texel is portrayed from the last ice age till now and into the future. The birds which one can find on Texel are displayed in the Bird Islands, where there is also the opportunity to hear their song. 'Sea of Insights' is about what people do with and in the sea. Each of the themes pays special attention to children, for example a special 'poop' electro game at the 'Sea as a sewer' theme. The Sea Aquarium complex displays all kinds of fish and other sea life. On the upper level, the visitor can watch seals swimming under water. In 2007, Ecomare came into possession of a collection of 99 paintings, where all the whale species in the world are portrayed. The paintings were made by Rob van Assen, who dissected whales himself during his work as taxidermist in Naturalis.

Information

In the reception hall at Ecomare, information and books/brochures are available about nature on Texel, the tidal flats and the North Sea. This is also where one can book for excursions in the nature areas of the State Forestry and Natuurmonumenten on the island. Other excursion opportunities include hikes on the flats and special programs for children.

The Dune Park

The Dune Park is only accessible for visitors to Ecomare. It is 70 hectares in size and has three trails. The park gives a good impression of the various types of dunes found on Texel. Information signs along the trails inform the public informed about the visible nature and management of the Dune Park. During the high season, guided tours are offered for free on varying days of the week to the visitors.

Since 2006, visitors to the Dune Park can rent a hand computer as guide through the dunes. It works just like a route planner in the car: information about the area appears when at the proper spot. The visitor is given information about the dune landscape, the plants and the animals as one walks one of the three paths. In addition, another screen shows a map and the path one has walked. The information is adapted to the season. visitors to Ecomare can rent the device at the entrance to the museum. In 2007, other routes outside of the park will be available with the device, such as a route for handicapped people, educational puzzel walks for schools and night walks.

Excursions

Besides the standard excursions open to the public, Ecomare can arrange excursions for groups. Possible themes are birds, excursions to a salt marsh area, a beach programme involving active fishing in the coastal water, mushrooms in the Texel woods, a cultural historical tour through the old land of Texel or through the various polders; in other words, just about all possible themes relating to nature and the environment on Texel. Further details are worked out together with the group. There are complete fieldwork weeks or shorter programs specifically for schools.

Nature and environmental education

A new fieldwork center at Ecomare was opened on 1 October 1992. Two groups can now simultaneously work with the materials which have been gathered in the field. Fully organized fieldwork weeks, as well as shorter programs are possible. They are not only for schools; fieldwork programs for adults are also offered.

The other aspects of Ecomare are also incorporated into the education program. Just about all the Texel's elementary school classes partake every year in a program at Ecomare, specially developed for them. There are also programs developed for schools and other groups visiting Ecomare for a day during their week of fieldwork. The exposition, the seal and bird sanctuary and the Dune Park make up an important part of these programs. New in 2007 is the interactive lesson program 'Expert in the Class', whereby schools can take a lesson from the classroom via a webcam about seals or sea life. Employees of Ecomare provide explanations behind the screens of the animal sanctuary and answer questions from the school children and teachers.

The history: The Texels Museum

In 1930, Mr. Kraai, a teacher in Den Burg, was the founder of the Texels Museum. The collection contained natural historical, geological and archaeological objects. That year attracted 2000 visitors to the museum.

In the years prior to and during the Second World War, Herman van der Horst was director of the museum on Texel. He made his first two documentaries: a film Texel, parel der waddeneilanden ("Texel, pearl of the Wadden Islands") and a film on the sheep farming on Texel. After the war, when van der Horst returned to the mainland, he became one of the most prominent film-makers in the Netherlands.

The old Texels Museum was outgrowing its walls and moved shortly after the war to a wooden barrack in the woods of Texel.

The entrance to the Texels Museum Pioneers with seal care center

In the 1950s, the director-couple de Haan began taking in young and sick seals. In an ever growing rate, wounded or weakened seabirds were also taken in at the museum.

In 1975, the Texels Museum moved to its present location near De Koog, on the edge of the Dune Park that had been established in honour of the nature conservationist pioneer Jac. P. Thijsse. Under the umbrella of the Texels Museum, the State Forestry, the nature group IVN, the Society for Nature and Environmental Education and the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves all bundled their energy in creating a completely new museum. In addition to displaying natural historical collections, the goal was enlarged with providing information to tourist on the nature found on Texel. The museum thereby became a visitors center

In the mid 1980s, the course was once again revised. The primary goal changed to delivering a contribution to the preservation and recovery of the quality in the wadden region and the North Sea, particularly via the provision of specific information. The center was renamed Ecomare, center for Wadden and North Sea.

In the meantime, Ecomare has been hosting an average of 300,000 visitors yearly since 1998. The greatest number are tourists and Texelaars looking for an educational daytrip. However, schools and other groups also contribute a significant part to the number of visitors.

Finally: the message

For the workers at Ecomare, the major message they wish to bring to the visitors is: in addition to a fun activity, a visit to Ecomare should also cultivate understanding and be educational. They want to strengthen the visitor's appreciation for nature by giving them more insight into man's collective influence on the nature and environment on Texel, for the wadden region and the North Sea. Their goal in the future is to bring this message, and everything that is related, to its visitors in an even more captivating, more fascinating and more effective manner.

Address, how to get there and opening hours of Ecomare

Address: Ruyslaan 92
1796 AZ De Koog/Texel
Telephone: 0222-317741
Telefax: 0222-317744
E-mail: infobalie@ecomare.nl
Website: http://www.ecomare.nl

Ecomare is open daily throughout the entire year, from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m., with the exception of New Year's Day and Christmas Day.
Ecomare can be reached from the ferry and from Den Burg and De Koog with bus line 28. The Telekom Taxi also stops at Ecomare.
There is a lovely bicycle route departing from Den Burg: Pontweg, Rozendijk (intersection 11) and Ploegelanderweg (second street right). From De Koog, there is a bicycle path going south along the Ruijslaan. A lovely but somewhat longer route from the boat goes in the direction of Den Hoorn and then continues through the woods and dunes.
Ecomare can be reached by car from the ferry via intersection 13 on the Pontweg, where there is a sign 'Ecomare'.