Schönower Heide, Protected area in Bernau bei Berlin and Wandlitz, Germany.
Schönower Heide is a protected nature reserve spanning several kilometers across moorlands, dry grasslands, and coniferous forests mixed with sand dunes and low heather. The land displays varied terrain shaped by water levels and soil conditions, with pathways connecting different habitat types across the grounds.
The land served as a military training ground for decades, with intensive use by armed forces causing disturbance until the early 1990s. Following the military withdrawal, the damaged landscape underwent restoration to recreate the natural heath ecosystems that once existed there.
The reserve functions as a space where people can directly observe how grazing animals shape the landscape, creating a living example of ecological management. This hands-on approach to conservation connects visitors with natural processes they would rarely witness elsewhere.
The reserve is easily accessible with two marked circular routes of different lengths threading through various habitats and terrain types. Interpretation signs placed throughout explain what you see, including details about the plants, animals, and management work keeping the land functioning as a nature reserve.
Red and fallow deer along with mouflon sheep roam freely in designated sections and naturally maintain the low heather through their grazing habits. This living approach to land management demonstrates how animals themselves become active tools in ecosystem care.
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