Südheide Nature Park

From there it stretches northwards, between the towns of Bergen to the west, Faßberg to the north and Weyhausen and Steinhorst to the east.

Around the 18th and 19th centuries, coniferous forests were planted on the nutrient-poor sands of the geest in the region of the present-day nature park.

Formerly, only soils containing more clay could be used for arable farming, something which explains the sparse settlement of the area with its scattered hamlets and few transport routes.

The Südheide Nature Park is part of one of the largest contiguous wooded areas in Germany, and is dominated mainly by pine and spruce.

The district of Celle in the east central part of Lower Saxony is responsible for the nature park which was founded in 1964.

The old basket types of beehive have been largely superseded these days by boxes made of wood or plastic which are easier to carry.

The plastic Langstroth hive which are now common in North Germany are simply set up on the heathland when the heather blooms.

The near-natural heath streams of the Örtze, Weesener Bach, Aschau, Lutter and Lachte run through the park and provide a home for otters, trout and freshwater pearl mussels.

Many endangered species of plant and animal have also found a habitat in these streams, sections of which lie within nature reserves.

As well as the brooks with their fish and otters, there are also adjacent water meadows and carrs, bogs, marshes and river source areas, in which birds such as the black stork, sea eagle and crane are found as well as rare river dragonflies, like the small red damselfly which is threatened with extinction and the severely endangered keeled skimmer.

Especially significant are the last remaining colonies of the Northwest European freshwater pearl mussel, which makes very high demands on the quality of its habitat.

The Bundesamt für Naturschutz, the state of Lower Saxony and the districts of Celle and Gifhorn have supported this nature conservation project since 1989.

One of the highest elevations, and a popular viewing point in the nature park, is the Haußelberg at 119.1 metres above NN.

In the vicinity of Unterlüß, on the Rheinmetall company's firing range which is not open to the public, a wolf was clearly identified again for the first time in September 2006.

The largest still contiguous areas of heath are found near Hermannsburg (Central Lüß Plateau Heathland, Tiefental) and between Müden/Örtze and Unterlüß in the vicinity of Oberohe.

On 13 November 1972 hurricane Quimburga passed over the Südheide Nature Park and left severe storm damage behind in the woodlands in the form of fallen trees.

In reforesting the areas destroyed by storm and forest fire it was initially thought that pine monocultures should be abandoned.