1716) Experience Nature - De Onlanden Nature Reserve, Netherlands: A set of Stamps issued by Post NL (Netherlands Post) featuring the Flora & Fauna of the Nature Reserve: Date of Stamp Set issue: 22.02.2021:
About Experience Nature - De Onlanden Nature Reserve -
De Onlanden is a Nature Reserve of around 2,500 hectares located near the city of Groningen.
The area features rugged hay meadows, marshy woodland and space for storing excess water.
De Onlanden emerged as part of a large reconstruction project that was launched in 2008, aiming to improve the region’s agricultural structure, accelerate the construction of nature reserves and realise a large water storage area.
The Nature Reserve is still home to one organic farmer. The name De Onlanden refers to an old name in this part of the Netherlands. This name was used for very low, wet ground, far removed from the inhabited world and that was almost unusable for agriculture at the time. Later, however, cattle breeding became possible.
Since 2008, nature in this area has developed into a marsh biotope, with the associated plants, birds and other animals. Various species are benefitting from the disappearance of large areas of grassland and peat meadow. These include the southern marsh orchid, the birds whinchat and bittern and various dragonflies and amphibians. The great egret, the otter and the osprey have also made the area their domain. During prolonged periods of heavy rainfall, the water storage in De Onlanden ensures that residents of the city of Groningen keep their feet dry.
The Experience nature - De Onlanden stamps feature the following residents of this Nature Reserve: ruff, great egret, wigeon, darner, common poppy, coltsfoot, oxeye daisy, common bream, otter and sooty copper.
Transparent images of a whorl snail, the opened flower of a poppy, the side view of a pike and of a wigeon, a long hoverfly with its wings spread and three chamomile flowers all feature in a separate graphic layer on the stamp sheet.
The Experience Nature - De Onlanden stamp sheet was designed by graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda. On the Sheet, the ten plants and animals are depicted in their natural environment on their own stamp.
In some cases, the image or background colour continues onto the adjacent stamp and onto the sheet edge. Due to the landscape character of the photographs, a landscape stamp format was selected for this new issue.
In previous years, the Experience Nature Sheets have always been in portrait orientation. All photos are incorporated in a graphic layer of different sized overlapping circles, which break through the boundaries of the perforations. The circle pattern returns as small droplets on the sheet edge and the tabs. There is another graphic layer on top of the circles, This consists of transparent images of a whorl snail, poppy, pike, long hoverfly, wigeon and chamomile. The monochrome images are almost abstract and connect the stamps.
The Special Cancellation Handstamp/Postmark is dated - "22.02.2021".
Technical details:
Stamps Issue Date: 22.02.2021
Designer: Frank Janse, Gouda
Illustrator: Buiten-Beeld, Natuurmonumenten
Printer: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Process: Offset
Colours: 4 Colours
Stamp Size(s): 40.0 mm x 30.0 mm
9) "De Haar Castle", Utrecht, Netherlands: The first Coin to be released in the "Dutch Castles" Coin Series: A silver ducat Trade Coin with a history spanning over 350 years, minted by the Royal Dutch Mint: Date/Year of Delivery: 04/2020
10) First Atlases, Netherlands: Commemorating 450 Years of the first Atlas (1570-2020) & others: A Stamp Sheet of six stamps depicting the Atlases which were compiled in the Netherlands in the 16th & 17th Centuries AD: Stamp Set issued by POstNL: Date of Stamp Set issue: 23.03.2020
12) 75th Anniversary of the United Nations Organisation (UNO), The Netherlands: A Coin-card set of three denominations of 0.50 Euros, 0.20 Euros and 0.05 Euros minted by the Royal Dutch Mint to celebrate the milestone: Year of Coin-card issue: 2020
3) Hoensbroek Castle, The Netherlands: The Third Coin to be released in the "Dutch Castles Coin Series": A Silver Ducat Trade Coin with a history spanning over 350 years, minted by the Royal Dutch Mint: Year of issue: 2020
5) City of Bruges (or Brugge), Belgium: 20 Years as UNENCO World Heritage Site: A 20 Euro Silver Proof Coin issued by the Royakl Dutch Mint under licencing of the Royal Belgian Mint, on behalf of the National Bank of Belgium: Coin issue date: 26.02.2020
6) 100 Years of Nature & Environment Protection, Luxembourg: Commemorating the Centenary Anniversary of the "Letzebuerger Natur a Vulleschutsliga a.s.b.l. (Luxembourg Nature and Bird Protection Society):A 0.80 Euro Stamp issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Date of stamp issue: 10.03.2020
7) Celebrating 25 Years of listing on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Luxembourg: A Commemorative Stamp of 0.80 Euro issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Stamp issue date: 10.03.2020
Some other interesting Posts from Finland, Norway & Nordic Countries:
15) "Franking Labels" from Greenland: Franking Labels issued by POST Greenland Filatelia since 2009 onwards: A brief analysis
16) Ancient Postal Routes - the Postal Boat Race - between Aland and Sweden", Aland, Finland: A EUROPA Postage Stamp of 2.00 Euro issued by Aland Post: Date of Stamp issue: 08.05.2020