Schaopedobbe Nature Reserve

The Schaopedobbe nature reserve is a beautiful moorland landscape in Southeast Friesland.

The reserve extends over 90 hectares and contains a mixture of marshland, sand drifts and small groups of trees. The area is very poor in nutrients so the habitat here supports unusual plants and animals that do not thrive elsewhere.

There are rare herbs, such as arnica, common club moss, small lousewort and marsh clubmoss. There are reptiles and amphibians, such as lizards, adders, frogs and salamanders. And dozens of species of butterflies, including the green hairstreak, the silver-spotted skipper and the silver-studded blue, make their home here. But the most conspicuous residents are the birds, which include tree pipits, yellowhammers, woodlarks and, more recently, nightjars.

In the past sheep (‘schaop’ in Frisian) were washed in a marsh pool (‘dobbe’ in Frisian) before they were shorn. This was how Schaopedobbe got its name. 

It is possible to walk and cycle through the area. On the north side of the reserve there is a cycle path that runs from Peperstraat road in the village of Elsloo to Haerdijk street in the village of Langedijke. There is also a red marked hiking trail that runs for 4 kilometres in this part of the reserve. You can access the trail from Peperstraat road in Elsloo, where you can park your car. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a leash. Please note!  Part of the reserve is closed to the public during the breeding season.

The Schaopedobbe nature reserve is owned and managed by It Fryske Gea, the organisation that protects nature, the natural landscape and cultural heritage in Friesland.  

Circular Walk 9 of the Bonifatius Kloosterpad, the St Boniface monastery route in Friesland, passes through the reserve.