Nature conservation on the edge of the big city II

Landscape conservation and nature protection in beautiful surroundings and sightseeing in the big city! You can experience both at this camp on the outskirts of Hamburg.

Under the guidance of staff from the Elbe-Tideauenzentrum, you will mainly work in the Boberger Niederung and Borghorster Elblandschaft nature reserves, as well as in other areas such as the Obere Tideelbe floodplain, Allermöher Wiesen, Horster Moor and Heuckenlock.

The Boberger Niederung nature reserve is exceptionally diverse: sand dunes and heathland, moors, marsh meadows, water bodies and near-natural forests come together on 464 hectares. Around 650 plant species grow here, including many highly endangered or rare species, such as the broad-leaved marsh orchid (a type of orchid). Endangered animal species such as the blue-winged grasshopper, the grass snake and the snipe also have their habitat here. A special feature of the area is the inland dune, which is considered one of the most endangered biotope types in Germany.

Regular maintenance measures are necessary to preserve the open structure and biodiversity of these sensitive habitats. This is where your practical work comes in: you will help mow orchid meadows, remove emerging shrubs such as hawthorn in selected areas (‘clearing’) and take part in litter collection campaigns.

You will also be active in the Borghorster Elblandschaft nature reserve, where you will be removing scrub and ringing invasive black cherry trees. This involves peeling the bark from the trunk to interrupt the transport of nutrients in the tree, preventing the species from spreading further. In one area, you will also remove Japanese knotweed to curb the spread of this highly invasive neophyte. The approximately 225-hectare area is characterised by a varied floodplain landscape and provides a habitat for numerous animal species, including beavers, orioles and ant lions.

During a trip to the Elbe Tidal Floodplain Centre in Hamburg-Moorwerder, you will get an insight into the exhibition and a guided tour of the adjacent Heuckenlock nature reserve – a unique freshwater floodplain with around 100 hectares of riparian forest in the south of the Elbe island of Wilhelmsburg, where white-tailed eagles breed, among other species. You will probably also help with work in the garden or on the outdoor area of the Elbe Tidal Centre.

In addition to the practical work, you will learn a lot about nature and environmental protection in general as well as the nature and habitat in these special nature reserves from employees of the Elbe Tidal Floodplain Centre. You will learn a lot about the local flora and fauna as well as the special need for protection of animals and plants on the Red List:

Information (unfortunately only in German) about the Boberger Niederung and Borghorster Elblandschaft nature reserves and the Elbe tidal floodplain centre can be found here:

https://www.goep.hamburg/boberg/

https://www.goep.hamburg/borghorst/

https://www.goep.hamburg/umweltbildung/elbe-tideauenzentrum.php