- Piping grass and hay in the Havelland
In Schönwalde-Glien (Havelland district) the species-rich reed grass meadows were mowed. The area shows how agriculture and biodiversity can be connected, as reported by the Promotion Association for Ecological Agriculture Berlin-Brandenburg (FÖL) e.V. Through careful management, valuable reed grass and lowland meadows are preserved. The area is said to belong to one of the most species-rich areas in Eastern Germany.
Gentle meadow mowing for more species protection
The so-called meadow mowing is a gentle mowing method where the meadow is not completely mowed, but only on partial areas. This ensures sufficient cover and insects continue to find enough food.
On the reed grass meadows, light mowing machines with cutter bars are used. According to the promotion association, these function like several scissors with two blades. "The widely used disc mowers ensure that through the strong rotation of the disc blades, insects and other small creatures are drawn from the meadow into the blades. This is significantly reduced by the proven gentler mowing technique of the cutter bar."
Before mowing, the nesting sites of birds are mapped and avoided during mowing.
110 threatened plant species
The gentle management on the area pays off: On the reed grass meadows, 110 plant species grow that are listed as "threatened to endangered" on the Brandenburg red list, according to the association. One of these plants is the lung vetch, which blooms in strong blue-violet. The meadow biotope is named after the native reed grass, which also grows on the area.
For seven years, Lisa Querhammer and Sascha Fiedler from the Betula organic farm have been operating on the areas in the "Muhrgraben with Devil's Bruch" and "Doberitzer Heath" nature reserve through gentle grazing and mowing. Since the beginning of 2024, the organic farm has been a so-called "demonstration farm for nature conservation in agriculture in Brandenburg".
Sheep and goats as animal landscape gardeners
Various methods are applied to maintain biodiversity. Among them, around 350 sheep and 14 goats are used as animal landscape gardeners to keep the meadows and pastures lean and free of wood. Furthermore, no fertilizer is used on the area and a hay mowing with soil and fauna-friendly technique is applied.
The model project Nature Conservation Consulting Brandenburg is carried out by the Promotion Association for Ecological Agriculture Berlin-Brandenburg (FÖL) e.V. in cooperation with the German Association for Landscape Management (DVL), the State Office for the Environment (LfU) and agricultural operations. Five demonstration farms for nature conservation (Betula organic farm, Gut Kienberg, agricultural operation Domin, Moorhofer Greenland farm, NaturKonkret – Großtrappenhof) share knowledge and experiences within the project and are open to visitors, as reported by the promotion association.
The reed grass meadows in Schönwalde-Glien belong to one of the most species-rich areas in East Germany, specifically in the Havelland district. Due to careful management, this area has become a haven for 110 threatened plant species, such as the lung vetch, which are listed on the Brandenburg red list.
Although East Germany is known for its industrial past, the gentle mowing method used on the reed grass meadows in Schönwalde-Glien is helping to preserve and protect endangered plant species, demonstrating that agriculture and biodiversity can coexist effectively.
