GrassBirdHabitats: SWK

Collectief Súdwestkust (SWK)

The Cooperative Association Súdwestkust U.A. is one of seven agricultural collectives that are active in the Dutch province of Fryslân. It focuses on agricultural nature and landscape management (ANLb) and area development. Board members and area coordinators of the collective are committed to strengthening biodiversity and nature-inclusive agriculture in various habitats.

The conservation of meadow birds is a very important aspect in this regard. Súdwestkust's working area lies within the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân and stretches from Laaksum to Sneek and the Afsluitdijk. There are a number of important meadow bird centres within this area.

A very flat grassland landscape. There are areas with tall and with short vegetation.... — Mosaic of the Samenvoeging polder at its best in mid-June. Photo: SWK

More than 20 Black-tailed Godwits stand in short grass vegetation. Most of them have their... — Black-tailed Godwits love wet conditions because they search for food in the soft soil. Water in the ditches is, therefore, extremely important for the birds to gain weight after their flight from the south. Photo: SWK

A simple-looking windmill stands in a grassland landscape. There is a small stream of... — At this location in It Heidenskip, a shallow body of water is getting filled by an antique tjasker mill. Photo: SWK

Seven persons are working in an open grassland landscape. Behind them are heavy machines.... — Working on open areas is important for meadow birds. Collectief Súdwestkust does this with the help of farmers, hunters and many volunteers. Photo: SWK

A group of people is standing on a dyke. The person on the left is explaining something... — How and why the collective does things in the landscape. Súdwestkust likes to share its knowledge. Photo: J. de Vries/SWK

A flat grassland landscape from a bird's eye view. There are multiple large ditches filled... — Aerial photo of marshes of the Workumerwaard area in mid-June. Photo: P. Solar

Six black-tailed Godwits and two Black-headed Gulls stand in a large body of shallow... — Water is also of vital importance at the end of the breeding season. Photo: C. Visser

A man is standing next to multiple solar panels that are mounted close to the ground. They... — Rain or shine, solar pumps will be installed before the breeding season to welcome the meadow birds with open arms and wet grassland. Photo: J. de Vries/SWK

Within the LIFE project GrassBirdHabitats, SWK is working on the following actions:

Development of a sustainable agricultural business model suitable for both meadow birds and farmers
Capacity building and acquisition of additional funding for meadow bird conservation
Raising awareness for meadow bird conservation in the Netherlands
International networking between farmers across the Atlantic region that are involved in bird-friendly grassland farming