Doorkijkpaneel 1. Zuigerplasbos

GREEN CITY
The Piston Plasbos has an area of 290 hectares. The forest is bordered on the eastern side by the Hanzelijn. The forest borders the golf park on the west side. The allotment garden complex and the sports park with the buildings behind it form the southern border. The Zugerplasbos nature reserve is a quiet idyll on the edge of a lively city.

GREAT ACTIVITY
It used to be quiet here, during the construction of the IJsselmeerdijk, certainly not. The Zuigerplasbos owes its name to the Zuigerplas. Sand was extracted here for the construction of the polder dikes. An enormous sand suction dredger floated on the water, sucking up the sand and pumping it out through a thick pipe. The tube connected to the structure remained afloat thanks to the large, elongated floats. This pipeline transported the extracted sand, which was then sprayed onto the land to dry. Later the dried sand could be used for the 
construction of the ring dike. After the dikes were constructed, forests were planted from 1964 onwards and the noisy construction site turned into a quiet nature reserve.

VARIED
The Zuigerplasbos is a varied nature reserve. The forest is planted with different types of trees. The flowery lawns are buzzing with butterflies, bees and other insects. Due to the various biotopes, the area is also rich in birds that breed and forage there. Consider, for example, the nuthatch, woodpecker, hawfinch and mistle thrush.

WATER RESERVOIR
The Zuigerplasbos also has a function as a water reservoir for the municipal water in Lelystad. Because the water quality from the surrounding agricultural area is very nutrient-rich, the water quality of the Zuigerplasbos deteriorated. To improve water quality, a waterway was created in 2022 that ensures the supply of cleaner water from the IJsselmeer. In addition, it is on the south side of the lake 
a swamp zone has been created that has a local contribution to improving biodiversity. Moreover, this creates a new habitat, which increases biodiversity.

RECREATION
Since the 1970s, the Zuigerplasbos has also had a recreational function in addition to its function as a nature reserve. There is a walking path of about three kilometers around the Zuigerplas. This gives you a nice picture of the nature reserve. There is also the Zuigerplasbos route of 5.6 km. The lake itself is rich in freshwater fish, such as bass, carp and pike. It is therefore an ideal place for anglers. The Zuigerplasbos is managed by Staatsbosbeheer. 

EXPERIENCE FOREST
The Belevenissenbos, an area of no less than 40 hectares, is located in the Zuigerplasbos. The largest play forest in the Netherlands has been created here. Children can discover and play in nature. There are numerous playground equipment for climbing in the forest. There are also two cross bike trails. Or do you prefer the assault course or the survival route? It's all possible in the Belevenissenbos in the Zuigerplasbos nature reserve.