- Impulse
Life cycle
There are also good and bad times in the life of a tree. The tree rings tell the story: the narrower they are, the more difficult the living conditions were during the growth phase (drought, shade, little space, etc.). Discover the good years on the tree slice!
- RevealRich
Wilderness area - "The primeval forest of tomorrow".
The Rahrbach PoetryWalk leads between the experience stations "Vergehen & Entstehen" and "Lebensringe" through one of 100 wilderness areas in North Rhine-Westphalia (total area: 7736 hectares in the state-owned forest alone).
Wilderness areas are forest areas with old deciduous forests, in which no more timber use takes place and the natural development dynamics are not influenced by human intervention. I.e. in wilderness areas the age-related onset of tree decay is not prevented and in these forests the proportion of old and dead wood increases over the years. This creates valuable habitats for highly specialized species, some of which are threatened with extinction, such as woodpeckers, black storks, stag beetles and co. wood decomposing fungi. And so it is a set goal of the Forestry Commission to contribute to the protection of species and habitats through the many wilderness areas in North Rhine-Westphalia.
But unmistakably, this "wilderness" in some North Rhine-Westphalian forests has nothing to do with the deserted landscapes we know from other countries. Nor do wolf and bear play any role here. But in the wilderness areas the attention lies on hardly noticeable, slow developments for the protection not only of large but also of many inconspicuous animal and plant species!
In the long run the wilderness areas are to become small primeval forest areas from second hand. Until this development is completed, many decades, perhaps even centuries will pass.
Note:
The wilderness areas are predominantly located in nature reserves and thus entering the forest areas off the trails is prohibited, as is picking plants or mushrooms. And of course forest visitors, whether in the "normal" forest or in the wilderness area, have to watch out for typical forest hazards themselves, such as falling branches and tripping hazards.
Tip:
What exactly goes on in North Rhine-Westphalia's "wild forests," why they were designated, and why foresters from Wald und Holz NRW care about wilderness can be found at https://www.wald-und-holz.nrw.de/naturschutz/urwald-von-morgen/wildnis/.
The themed hiking trail
"Rahrbach PoesieWeg- mit Poesie zu mir und der Natur" (Rahrbach Poetry Trail- with Poetry to Me and Nature)
The approx. 8 km long circular hiking trail (on easily accessible forest paths with a few slight inclines) aims to provide inspiration for inner contemplation, inspiration and a deeper encounter with nature.
Enjoy the heavenly forest atmosphere of the rustling coniferous and deciduous forests on the round tour and let yourself be inspired at six places by short poems to linger, to reflect and to enjoy nature (in a meaningful way).
Tour details can be found here.
Booklet accompanying the trail:
Use the booklet accompanying the Rahrbach Poetry Trail for an informative and enlightening visit to the forest. The free booklet is available at the Tourist-Information Lennestadt& Kirchhundem, Hundemstr. 18, 57368 Lennestadt, 02723 608800, info@lennestadt-kirchhundem.de or for download.