- Limited Access: Certain Islands Cater Exclusively to Avid Bird Observers
During peak tourist season, most islands in the North and Baltic Seas offer a escape from daily life's stress. Yet, access is restricted to certain isles labeled as 'bird islands' and sandbanks. These islands are home to a solitary bird warden during the warmer months.
One of these individuals is Nele Waltering, a 28-year-old resident of Norderoog, a roughly 10-hectare Hallig located in the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea since April. Established by the Vogel- und Naturschutzverein Jordsand in 1909, Norderoog is dedicated to preserving nature, particularly bird protection. Visitors are only permitted during the non-breeding season, provided they obtain permission to access the Hallig, which lies within the I protection zone of the national park.
Waltering hails from Aachen and is currently taking a break from her studies in environmental engineering at Rostock prior to starting her master's thesis. Her primary duty at the bird station involves monitoring the resting and breeding sea and coastal birds.
Norderoog isn't the only bird sanctuary in the North and Baltic Seas. For instance, Trischen in Dithmarschen, Schleswig-Holstein, has been dedicated to bird protection since 1909. While it once housed a farm and over 80 hectares of farmland, per NABU's website, today it is solely inhabited by the NABU bird warden during summer in a compact wooden hut perched on stilts.
Additionally, bird islands can be found in Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The Wadden Sea in Hamburg boasts the bird island of Scharhörn. Westward, in the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea, between Borkum and Juist, is the bird island of Memmert.
Lastly, bird islands also populate the Baltic Sea. Langenwerder, north-east of Poel in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, serves as a breeding ground for several thousand sea birds on approximately 22 hectares. Founded in 1910, it is considered the oldest bird sanctuary on the German Baltic Sea coast. Visitors are generally barred, but guided tours are available during the non-breeding season.
Nele Waltering, working on Norderoog, has a unique living situation, as she resides on an island of a capacity of around 10 hectares during the warmer months. Despite its popularity as a bird sanctuary, visitors are only allowed during the non-breeding season, indicating the delicate balance that must be maintained for the protection of the sea birds.
