An epic landscape experiment is underway in the Netherlands. Its aim is to make the Netherlands, the most developed country of all European states, wild again. Its method is to establish a vast network of natural habitats and wildlife corridors.
Frans Vera, one of the ecologists developing the project, imagines it as a ‘green circulation system’ that will allow the freer movement of non-human species around North West Europe. Plans for the project show a mesh of green arteries, veins and capillaries, covering much of the Netherlands and infiltrating Germany and Belgium.
A the natural reserve De Oostvaarders Plassen in a Dutch polder a conflict occurs because some of the wild animals die in winter caused by overpopulation. Since the general public does not want to see deer, horses and reintroduced primeval bulls die of hunger, it is decided to kill the animals that are sick. But the general public it also against shooting down the weak animals. So the question arises: how wild can a natural reserve be in a developed world?
A crew from the program Eòrpa from the Scottish BBC travels to the Netherlands to create a background reportage about the Dutch efforts to make Dutch nature wilder again.
For this reportage Featurez did the research, set up, and planning of the filming, booked a rental van, did the driving, accompanied the filming did the interviews and translations.