Großes Moor (near Gifhorn)

The Großes Moor (literally "Great Bog") near Gifhorn is part of the Northwest German raised bog region, which stretches from the Netherlands to the eastern border of Lower Saxony on the sandy areas (geest) left behind by the ice age.

Later, work began on the construction of drainage canals and the industrial cutting of peat, which reached its zenith after 1945.

In Westerbeck (Gemeinde Sassenburg) there is only one peatworks left today that cuts peat on an industrial scale.

[2] In summer 2003, under the guidance of NABU, the Gifhorn district organisation began a large mammal pasture creation project.

On an area of initially 30 hectares (74 acres) back-bredaurochs (ancient cattle) and Konik ponies (primitive Polish horses) have been settled.

By stopping the artificial drainage a refuge for plants and animals that thrive in wet areas is being created.

In the Großes Moor there used to be around 150 animal species and 40 types of vascular plant, that are endangered in Lower Saxony of which eleven are threatened with extinction.