Netherlands

A quarter of Dutch territory lies below sea level, and that amphibious condition defines all of its nature. The country is essentially one large delta, that of the Rhine, the Meuse and the Scheldt, transformed over centuries into polders, dikes and artificial lagoons that have paradoxically created habitats of enormous value for waterbirds. The Dutch Wadden Sea, with sandbanks that emerge at low tide, is a breeding ground for harbour and grey seals and a critical stopover for millions of migrating waders on their journey between Africa and the Arctic. The wet meadows inland support one of the largest concentrations of grassland birds in Europe. The Oostvaardersplassen polders, reclaimed from the sea in the 1960s, became a pioneering rewilding experiment with large herbivores at liberty, and the coastal dunes keep roe deer, foxes and a specialised flora.