Westhavelland Nature Park

Unterdorfstr. 5 14715 Havelaue / OT Parey

The nature park Westhavelland located in the state of Brandenburg, about 70 kilometers west of Berlin, on the border with the state of Saxony- Anhalt and was opened in June 1998. With 1315 km ² it is the largest protected area in Brandenburg and comprises the largest contiguous wetland in the single European country. The nature park lies mostly in the district of Havel country and partly in the districts Potsdam- agent Mark and Ostprignitz- Ruppin, the city of Brandenburg an der Havel is on the southern edge, in the center of the Natural Park of the county seat Rathenow.

Characteristics

The landscape was shaped by the Weichsel ice age about 20,000 years ago. In deep layers creating large marsh and wetlands, such as the Havelländische Luch, the Rhinluch and Dosse break. For these lowlands to uplands rise to Grundmoränenplatten and terminal moraines, the so-called countryside, and as the little state Bellin, the little state ganglia and the little state Rhinow. As a result of by the Prussian King Frederick II caused in the 18th century reclamation of the area dikes, pumping stations and ditches were built and the Havel mouth moved to drain the marshy land. Under the sponsorship of the Federal Nature Conservation Germany ( NABU) began in 2005 a long-standing project to Renaturierumng the Lower Havel. The region is under the motto " Along the blue ribbon of the Havel " also became the site of the Federal Garden Show 2015.

Flora and Fauna

Great importance is the nature park as a sanctuary for many migratory birds in spring and autumn find water and food rich resting places here. Part of the Havelländisches Luches is reported as European bird sanctuary. In the district Buckow the community Nennhausen is the State Ornithological Station in the state of Brandenburg. Heraldic animal of the natural park is the ruff. The total population in the natural park about 720 animal species, including beavers, otters and great bustards, and about 250 plant species that are considered endangered.

Visitor center

The visitor center of the Natural Park Westhavelland is located in the municipality of Milow in a former Gutskomplex right at the mouth of Stremme in the Havel.

Star Park

The nature park at night is one of the darkest places in Germany, and it is even as dark as, for example, in Namibia, so that practically only the naturally existing sky light with a surface brightness of 21.78 mag / arcsec ² is observed. Therefore, it is for example possible to see not only the Milky Way, but even the airglow ( a faint glow higher layers of the atmosphere ), which is now usually outshone by artificial light scattering.

After first light measurements in 2009 was designed and tested to be a light protected area, respectively, a Starlight Reserve arise. On February 9, 2014 to the Nature Park was awarded the title "Star Park " by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA ) as the first place in Germany. On the same day an aurora in the nature reserve could be observed.