Many people know Groningen as a land of wide fields and clay, and a far stretched horizon. Westerwolde, the region Ter Apel is in, is different. There are nog straight lines here, but lovely winding paths with diverse patches of heather, beautiful woods and fields. With the meandering streams and slopes in the landscape you are in a completely different space. Westerwolde is a nature area that is rich in, sometimes rare, flora and fauna.
The valley of the Ruiten Aa, a stream that has been returned to its original meanders, is known as one of the most beautiful stream valleys in the Netherlands. Woods with a divers variety of trees, some more than 1000 years old, lie on either side of the stream. Even the kingfisher can be seen now and then. In Ter Wupping 3 streams come together in a diverse landscape with wooden banks, little streams, grassland, woods, and severel typical Westerwolde farms. This is the habitat of whinchats, quails, bluethroats, and the Eurasian reed warbler. A true Walhalla for these birds!