Trees Turning Brown Months Too Soon
"It looks like autumn," said Jaco van Heemskerk as he walked through the woodland, where several trees have already turned orange-brown and begun dropping their leaves well ahead of schedule. According to him, the trees have shifted into a kind of survival mode, cutting back on water use just to stay alive. "But they still have to hold on for a while," he said, adding that no major rain is expected in the near future.

He admitted he wouldn't be surprised if some of the trees simply don't make it.

The physical signs of stress are visible everywhere. The moat surrounding the nearby castle has completely dried out, with water levels down by more than a meter and a boat now sitting exposed on the bare bottom.

The ground itself has started to crack from the lack of moisture.

Van Heemskerk noted that brief dry spells aren't usually cause for concern, since nature tends to bounce back from short-term swings. This time, though, the dry stretch has dragged on far longer than usual, and Zeeland is one of the hardest-hit regions in the country in terms of rainfall shortfall.



Groundwater data he reviewed tells a troubling story. Levels in the dunes near the forest fell steadily from January 2025 through October of that year, recovered slightly through February 2026, and then dropped sharply once again. "In fact, the drought already started in Janua.