At Lake Bockwitz, visitors can now learn about grazing on a nature trail. This is because water buffalo, Konik horses, Taurus cattle and Boer goats now graze in a nature reserve where lignite was once mined. The nature trail comprises three different variants of a circular route with a maximum length of 13 kilometers, according to the Landesstiftung Natur und Umwelt. Information boards provide visitors with information about conservation-friendly grazing in words and pictures.
The nature trail was designed and built by employees of the Saxon State Foundation for Nature and the Environment and other experts. The most species-rich areas in Bockwitz are open land and are home to many rare animal and plant species. "Two thirds of these are on the Red List of endangered species. Following the recommendations of the management plan for the protected area, they must be kept open at relatively high cost," it said.
As there are no large natural herbivores, these areas need to be maintained. Otherwise they would be overgrown by shrubs and biodiversity would be lost, the regional foundation said. In Bockwitz, Konik horses, Taurus cattle, goats, sheep and, more recently, water buffalo are used for grazing. The controlled and year-round grazing preserves the habitats of other animals. Open landscape species can find ideal conditions here,
Former open-cast mine site became a nature reserve
More than three decades ago, the site was still part of the Borna-Ost/Bockwitz open-cast lignite mine. After it ended, the landscape became a nature reserve and was left to develop naturally. The Saxon State Foundation for Nature and the Environment acquired around 475 hectares of this area back in 2001. By acquiring the land, the foundation's nature conservation fund ensured the long-term conservation and development of the area in the service of nature conservation.
According to the foundation, a wide variety of biotope types were able to develop in Bockwitz. Today, they provide a habitat for numerous animal and plant species. "The multitude of different, closely adjoining biotopes provide ideal living conditions for a rich bird life. Over 180 bird species live in the nature reserve. During the breeding season, it is possible to observe the osprey, great bittern, tree falcon, marsh harrier and crane."
About a third of the nature reserve consists of bodies of water. The many small bodies of water, ponds and damp meadows are a habitat for the strictly protected green toad, the tree frog and the great crested newt.
Copyright 2025, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
