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Duck decoys in the river basins of the Culemborgerwaard
The Culemborgerwaard is located in the western part of Gelderland and is part of the central river area of The Netherlands. The riverbanks have traditionally been used for settlements and agriculture. In contrast, the river basins have been used less by people, due to the wet conditions and regular floods. The construction of duck decoys (eendenkooien) was one of the few ways to earn a living in these wet and low-lying lands. Catching ducks involved a pond with one or more covered ditches into which the ducks were lured, and a forest around it. Most duck decoys are not in use anymore, and many have (partly) disappeared. However, they remain important elements in the landscape, from both a cultural-historical and ecological perspective.