“Strictly speaking, the Saaler Biotope is a collection of biotopes,” corrects Martin Lawrenz, the veteran forester, as he stands surrounded by the raised and low bogs, dry heathland, water areas with water lilies, dry stone walls, stone piles, and deadwood zones he has created, explaining the effort required to establish a plant community that will in turn attract the desired wildlife. For example, the bodies of water must be deep enough to prevent silting up. Too many water lilies and yellow-flowering frogbit decompose in the fall and produce putrefactive gases that disrupt the biological balance. Therefore, laborious weeding is necessary. This regulatory intervention is carried out regularly.
Discover this gem in a clearing at the southern tip of the municipality of Saal: Martin Lawrenz, a retired forester and owner of this wooded area, has breathed new life into the former sand pit with an artificial marsh, bodies of water, terraces, piles of fieldstones and a stone wall, and a seating area under fir trees at the highest point of the terrain … …
- In May, the area turns green and the chimney wasps begin their work;
- water lilies bloom starting in June
- in the fall, there are mushrooms—plentiful and large—as well as blackberries in the adjacent mixed beech forest… in the forest, a temperature of 14 degrees plus under the autumn sun feels wonderful
- Tree knots on small injuries to the beech trees are little good-luck charms…
Lawrenz keeps grazing forest animals away from the still-young vegetation with a protective fence. But it’s obviously not possible to do without some natural browsing, so Lawrenz has to tackle the fall pruning himself with gardening tools and equipment. It’s an impressive piece of cultivated nature. Water lilies, grasshoppers, dragonflies, and more delight us local visitors and inspire a sense of tranquility.
Chimney wasps in May: Solitary wasps are important for the natural cycle
Despite their bad reputation, wasps are important to the natural cycle. They not only serve as pollinators but also eat plant pests. A particularly interesting species is the common chimney wasp, which builds “chimneys” at its nesting sites.
To observe and help chimney wasps, three conditions must be met: a food source (weevil larvae), a nesting site (clay or a dry spot), and a suitable habitat with alfalfa. One such location is the Saaler Biotope. Here, the wasps form large clusters of nests and can be easily observed.
As the name suggests, the chimney wasp builds a “chimney” attached to its nest, and here’s how it works: The wasp digs a nesting tube up to five centimeters deep, moistens the excavated material with saliva, and deposits it in the shape of a “chimney” in front of the nesting tube. After the breeding season, the wasps can reuse the material as filler inside the tunnel.
By the way: Sand, clay, gravel, fieldstones, and the “Geländerelif” in our region are legacies of the last Ice Age. The brick and fieldstone structures built from these materials stand as testament to the civilization that followed.
The Saaler Forest Biotope Collection is not far from the Saaler Apostelsteine. Tour guides from the Southern Bodden Coast Tourism Center offer regular guided tours from May through September. You’ll see: field bumblebees, water mint, everlasting flowers, dragon’s root, western honeybees, broad-leaved cattail, water lilies, blackberries, stone bumblebees, round-leaved sundew, broom heather, juniper, sequoias, bell heather, common thistle, water frog, imperial mantle, peacock butterfly, …
On your own: Don’t forget your picnic basket!
The eco-certifications can be viewed here: https://oekounternehmen.oeko-kontrollstellen.de/
