Whether this is your first time on Schiermonnikoog or your umpteenth visit, we hope you feel welcome on our island and enjoy this unique part of the Netherlands as much as we do. Together we take care for the island, to make sure it will remain a special place for future generations as well.

The campaign ‘Welcome to National Park Schiermonnikoog’ is a joint project of the municipality of Schiermonnikoog, VVV Schiermonnikoog, Natuurmonumenten and the National Park Schiermonnikoog.

The goal of this project is to communicate the rules of conduct that apply on our island in a welcoming, friendly way. This is done by islanders themselves, instead of by terrain managers or enforcers (‘boa’s’ in Dutch).

Like many other National Parks, Schiermonnikoog has its own hosts (‘gastheren’) – mostly entrepreneurs who inform their guests about the special place where they work and live, together with the employees of the National Park. The hosts are proud of their surroundings and, when living on the island, they are also proud to be an islander. Their pride and the love of ‘their’ island form the background against which they communicate the rules of conduct which apply on ‘their’ island in a playful and positive way.

Twelve islanders, from the bellman/lightkeeper to a farmer and from a restaurant owner tot a seal carer, tell their stories. Each of them from their own perspective. The dairy farmer (Peter Visser), who supports ‘his’ meadow birds, the restaurant owner (Atze Postma), who tells where and how he walks his dog, the seal carer (Theun Talsma), who since many years takes care of the seals on the beach, and the bellman (Ivo Prins), who introduces their stories to the visitors. Every islander is accompanied by an animal of a plant, so that visitors are made familiar with the flora and fauna of the island as well. This makes you realise how and for whom you behave so well in nature.

People and nature, together Schiermonnikoog
Preparing this project once again made clear how involved the islanders are with their environment. This special involvement was used to communicate the stories behind our rules of conduct. Combined with the visitor’s natural curiosity about the inhabitants of the island, it forms a perfect background against which the rules of conduct are introduced in a playful, positive way. Within a week a quite diverse group of islanders was found willing to participate in this campaign. Other islanders announced that they would like to participate in the future as well.

Foppe Schut, a photographer who was born on Schiermonnikoog, made the portraits, Nathan Brinkman wrote the stories, and Casper Meinders coordinated the project. A special project, unique for the Dutch National Parks. A project in which islanders show themselves and share their stories to keep their ‘lytje pole’ beautiful for people and for nature. And in which they ask visitors to help keeping their island attractive for everyone. ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’, or, in this case: when on Schiermonnikoog, do as the Schiermonnikogers do…