Hey Everyone!
Today was such a fun day, I enjoyed the activities and layout of the day. This morning we headed to Delta Works, a tourist attraction park that aims to educate and entertain customers on the Delta Project. The views heading to the park were beautiful, blue water and sandy beaches lined the highway. The tourist attraction is located in Zeeland, which is in the southwest region of the Netherlands. Zeeland, as a region, is known for busy shipping routes, agriculture, and a key role in the area’s fishing industry.
The Delta Project was an initiative to prevent the disastrous effects of flooding and extreme weather resulting from the sea. The project was a response to the floods that occurred on January 31st, 1953. Today’s experiences are heavily related to what the group learned at the Watersnoodmuseum and stem back to the catastrophic floods that previously devastated the area. Concerning the Delta Project, the country wanted to permanently protect the coast. They decided to protect the land by placing 65 piers, or storm surge barriers, into their waterways. The Delta Project parts took many years to build, but it only took one year to assemble within the three storm channels. The way it works; the storm surge barriers close whenever sea levels of three meters (or more) above NAP are forecasted. Many interesting building blocks were used to assemble the project. There is a mat at the bottom of the waterways to provide a steady surface to build upon. Layers of steel and concrete, along with rocks also were used during the building process. The barriers are closed about two times per year, on average. The storm surge barrier is always closed in response to bad weather forecasts, and data is constantly gathered. When the storm gates/barriers are closed, they only stay closed for about five hours, which gives time for the tides to change and is not long enough to harm wildlife patterns. We learned that the storm surge barriers, the Delta Project, had been successful and are guaranteed to be working efficiently until the year 2100. When we reach 2100, the dijks and storm surge barriers must be built higher. However, building the protections higher can displace residents and wildlife, which causes concern. I feel that Delta Works plays heavily into “concept to consumer” as it is an innovative solution that affects all those who live in the region. The project helps people and ensures a catastrophic events like the floods of 1953 don’t happen again. Also, the heightening of the dijks and storm surge barriers can displace roads and those already living in the areas that would be compromised in development. This brings business and ethics into the situation, relating to the course materials.
In addition to the large amounts of historical, maritime, and scientific knowledge we gained, we got to go into two exhibits within the park center. The first was a short informational video, which presented basic facts and explained the Delta Project. Next, was the“The Delta Experience,” which was a bit startling and resembled Kennywood’s Haunted Mansion. We entered a dark mock house and experienced a simulation of the floods in 1953. The window curtains were flying, you could hear the dialogue of the time, and the weather was recreated from the natural disaster. After they set the scene, you entered a 360 movie where you watched a family try to prepare for the floods, and it helped me wrap my mind around just how scary it would be to live through something like that. The group also went on a tour of the Delta Works center, with one of the tour guides provided. This was very insightful and he also took us on a tour to the outside portion of the park. Outside, we saw tons of windmills and saw the storm surge barrier piers, which has a car bridge on top of them.
These storm surge barriers changed the way people live. It was a very proud accomplishment for the country when they were finished, and their completion was widely celebrated and televised. The entire project was finally completed in 1997 and cost 5 billion dollars. This is a symbol of the Netherlands’ innovative tendencies, problem-solving initiative, and determination to preserve its history/cultural pride.
In addition to the surge barriers, the park has many eclectic attractions. There were seals and sea lions on exhibit. Both of these animals are native to the North Sea, which is where Delta Works is located. We visited the park’s aquarium which houses many tropical fish, a petting tank, and interactive activities. The park also has another exhibit that enters through a silver tube and touches on maritime history and spunky sculptures. While in this cave-like area, water started to pour from the ceiling randomly. Delta Works likes to make you feel like you are in the devastating 1953 flood any chance they get. The fun does not end here! There is a miniature water park equipped with water slides on the premises. I had to go down the slide, but not before I watched others in the group go down, to ensure I wouldn’t get soaked. After our fun-free time, we got a sweet treat from the cafe. The weather was wonderful, super warm and sunny, so a slushie was the best choice for this hot day. The day was still far from over when we boarded a boat and sailed out into the North Sea. This was by far my favorite part of the day. We viewed sandbars with seals, and the Delta Work Project itself, and overall the water was amazingly clear. The boat was very big and we were on the top deck. It got a little chilly during this part of the day, so I had to represent the Pittsburgh Penguins and wear my favorite sweatshirt, even all the way out on the North Sea.
We headed back to the hostel and immediately headed out for dinner. I had homemade pasta with shrimp. It was delicious! Tomorrow we head to InHolland University Rotterdam.
Bye!