It's that time of year again: breeding season has begun. During the breeding season, many young animals are born in natural areas. These little ones are vulnerable and need peace and space to grow up. Human behavior, often unconscious, can disturb this peace. Nature organizations, important partners in many national parks, want to work together with visitors to give young animals the best chance for a good start in life. With the campaign Protect the Young Ones, they ask walkers, cyclists, dog owners, and water recreators to be especially conscious and careful with nature and the animals that live there during the breeding season. Will you help and protect the little ones?
Taking animals into account during the breeding season means staying on paths, keeping dogs on a leash, keeping a distance from shores, and sailing quietly. This ensures peace for birds, but also for mammals like deer and hares. In this way, recreators contribute to space for new life in Dutch nature.
Breeding Season
The breeding season runs from March 15 to July 15. From early spring, many animals search for their partner, build nests, lay eggs, and have young. Birds and wild animals are particularly vulnerable and sensitive to disturbance during this period with their young. Most bird species breed during this time. Some species start earlier, such as the grey heron and the tawny owl, and some species even continue longer, like some songbirds. That’s why it's important to be alert and prevent disturbance even outside this fixed period.
Awareness
Protect the Young Ones builds on the previous breeding season campaign by joint nature organizations and makes visitors to natural areas aware of what they can do to help young animals. Together we ensure that nature remains a safe place for young life during the breeding season. The Protect the Young Ones campaign is an initiative of Staatsbosbeheer, Natuurmonumenten, and LandschappenNL, and is financially supported by Collectief Natuurinclusief and communicatively by provinces, nature organizations, recreation boards, national parks, the tourism and recreation sector, user groups, and other organizations.