More about Vattenriket - backgroud notes on the exhibition

BACKGROUND NOTES ON THE EXHIBITION

MORE ABOUT VATTENRIKET

riences e p x e in h ic R

Rich in enjoy ment

Rich in water Rich in experiences, enjoyment – and water!

Since opening in 2010 as a showcase and forum for learning about the unique nature and the work done in Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve, the naturum Vattenriket has attracted visitors from near and far. We want every visit to be rich in experiences, enjoyment – and water!

Inside the naturum you can acquaint yourself with fish from Lake Hammarsjön, discover what lies below the surface in our streams and rivers, and take a magical trip in our unique Opteryx. Through the naturum windows you may be lucky enough to glimpse a kingfisher diving for food in the naturum pond.

This booklet tells you more about our exhibits, local birds, fish, visitor sites and changing attitudes to the wetlands.

Welcome to the naturum – and to the rich wetlands of Vattenriket that await you outside.

Karin Magntorn, naturum director

Contents

Welcome to the naturum!

A nest in the reeds Water - a blessing, a curse, a resource A global perspective A local perspective High and low water Varied countryside Wet and dry Birds in Vattenriket Lake Hammarsjön Fast-flowing waters Vattenriket´s fishes Explore Vattenriket A year in Vattenriket Discover Vattenriket’s visitor sites

4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32

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Welcome to the naturum!

In the heart of Kristianstad, in the heart of Vattenriket

On the banks of the River Helge å, like a nest in the wetland reeds just a stone’s throw from the railway station, stands the naturum Vattenriket visitor centre, with displays, hands-on activities and a café.

A wooden bridge leads across the river to the naturum, past reeds and rushes alive with movement and birdsong. In summer purple loosestrife and fen ragwort bloom by the bridge.

Inside, below the fan-shaped timbers of the high ceiling, a panoramic view of the surroundings awaits. Light filtering between the beams of the façade and the pillars in the room creates the sensation of nestling in a clump of reeds at the water’s edge.

Here, hidden by the reeds, you may spot goldeneyes courting in early spring, a heron lifting from the water, geese seeking a place to nest – and maybe even a kingfisher darting by, or otter hunting for fish.

Our exhibits describe Vattenriket’s varied nature and its many inhabitants. Perch, white bream and rudd swim in the aquarium, along with more fishes on the adjacent screen. Elsewhere you can acquaint yourself with Vattenriket’s many birds.

Meet some of our tiniest residents in the “Forsakar Brook”: a caddis fly larva carrying its home around its body, a tiny side-swimming amphipod. And don’t miss the Opteryx, waiting in the centre of the room to take you on a magical tour above and below the surface of the water – a unique experience, full of surprises and amazing nature.

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Netting from the jetty

See the aquarium fish

Explore in the Opteryx

Explore Vattenriket The naturum visitor centre is the showcase for Vattenriket and your gateway to the wetlands. The exhibits explain how the biosphere reserve works and give you a taste of what awaits outside. Our well-informed nature interpreters help you to discover Vattenriket’s 21 visitor sites where you will find more information, marked trails and observation towers.

Varied programme The naturum programme includes a huge variety of activities all year round – from traditional nature rambles to boardwalk safaris, qigong, outdoor concerts and fun and games for all the family. The programme is posted on our website.

Café One floor up, the café serves snacks and food. From the rooftop terrace, you can tuck into your own packed lunch at the picnic tables and enjoy uninterrupted views over the city, the river and the seasonally flooded grasslands.

Explore the surroundings Immediately outside the naturum a boardwalk leads through dense reeds to the Årummet outdoor museum – a genuine wilderness sensation close to the plants and animals of the wetlands. From the hide you can watch the birds by the naturum pond. For a longer walk, follow the Linnérundan trail across Isternäset’s seasonally flooded grasslands to the ruins of the medieval castle at Lillö. (Keys to the castle can be loaned from the naturum.)

Naturum Vattenriket and the Årummet outdoor museum 5

A nest in the reeds A unique building on ‘stilts’

The naturum Vattenriket opened its doors for the first time on 27 November 2010. The vision was to create ‘a nest in the reeds’ that felt close to both the city and the wetlands. Since then the building has welcomed more than a million visitors from near and far.

ARCHITECT: ‘A Nest in the Reeds’ was Fredrik Pettersson’s (White Arkitekter AB Copenhagen) winning proposal in Kristianstad Municipality’s 2007 competition to design the naturum Vattenriket.

BUILT: June 2009 – November 2010.

THE BUILDING: Approx 1,000 square metres. Constructed on a site-cast slab foundation resting on concrete pillars.

The façade is clad in heat-treated pine.

residents moving between the city centre and Härlövs ängar.

PILING: 535 concrete piles support the naturum, the ‘nest’ and the bridges. Where possible these rest on hard moraine 21–24 metres below the surface. Other piles rest in the clay deposit.

THE EXHIBITION: Fun and a sense of humour set the mood in a hands-on exhibition that includes a model of a stream complete with small invertebrates, an NATURUM POND: More than 10,000 cuaquarium with fish from Lake Hammarsjön, bic metres of earth and peat were removed and the Opteryx, which takes visitors on a to create a one hectare man-made wetland magical tour above and below the surface lake around the building. Common bleak of the water. New exhibits are introduced soon populated the waters, attracting every year. many predators including kingfisher, otter and water rail. ÅRUMMET OUTDOOR MUSEUM: In 2019 a boardwalk and hide were built adjacent NATURUM BRIDGE: A 300-metre bridge to the naturum pond. A walk here recreatfor pedestrians and cycles crosses the river es a wetland experience in the heart of the from the Tivoli Park to Härlövs ängar. The city. bridge is popular among commuters and .

NATURUM BRIDGE

River Helge å

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Mud/peat

sunk rests on piles The naturum w. lo the rock be 20 metres to

Årummet outdoor museum brings visitors close to the pond.

The naturum bridge is a popular link to the city centre.

Dense thickets were cleared to create the naturum pond.

Fredrik Pette rsson designed the naturum and bridge.

Otters and kingfishers hunt for fish by the naturum.

Glacial clay

Calcareous moraine

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Water – a blessing, a curs Changing attitudes to Kristianstad’s wetlands Attitudes to the wetlands have changed over the centuries.

When Kristianstad was founded in the early 1600s, the wetlands were part of its protective defences. Today it’s time for the city to protect the wetlands.

Waterside waste 1958

The very earliest settlers in the Helge å valley fished and hunted in the river, lakes and wetlands. Later the wetlands grass was reaped as winter fodder for animals that provided manure to fertilise the fields. The wetlands were a blessing.

When Christian IV founded Kristianstad in the midst of the marshes, drinking water was supplied from wells inside the town.

By the 1800s these wells were so polluted that water was taken from the river instead.

Later still, industrial effluents were released into the river, so drinking water was taken from the groundwater instead.

A municipal waste tip on the riverbank in the 1960s did nothing to improve the situation. Kristianstad turned its back on the ailing river. The wetlands were a problem.

Later in the 20th century, however, reduced emissions from industry and households led to an improvement in water quality. People began to understand how the wetlands purify the water and balance the extremes of high and low water levels. Today the wetlands are regarded as an asset for Kristianstad – proof, if it was 8

“The Public Health Committee believes the waterlogged swamps pose a health risk and should be cleared urgently […] provided that this does not result in any inconvenience and the rubbish tip is properly managed.”

MUNICIPAL PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE, 1958

needed, of a new attitude to how to make use of nature’s resources.

se, a resource

”How many Swedes are aware that, on the final 30 kilometres of its journey to the sea, the River Helge å and the lakes it flows through – Araslövssjön, Hammarsjön, Egeside sjö and Yngsjön – create space in the landscape, a refuge for an expression of nature quite without equal in Sweden? There is a grandeur in this watery realm that leaves your soul free to soar. […] Yet this is southern Sweden, a broad, flat valley painted in the lush greens of meadows and marshes, reed beds and rushes.”

CARL FRIES, ”DEN SVENSKA SÖDERN”, 1968

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A global perspective

Using natural resources without using them up In 2020 there were 714 biosphere reserves in 129 countries worldwide, including seven in Sweden. Together these areas are part of a global organisation, the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Biosphere reserves are terrestrial or coastal marine ecosystems internationally recognised under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB). They are nominated by national governments, but must have the support of regional and local authorities. Official biosphere reserve status is awarded only to areas that meet UNESCO criteria. All biosphere reserves, whether on an island in the South Pacific, the slopes of the Andes or here in Kristianstad, work with three key functions.

Conservation: contributing to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic diversity.

Development: fostering economic and human development that is socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable.

Support: providing support for environmental education and practical training, research and environmental monitoring.

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The biosphere is the thin layer of life on Earth that comprises all ecosystems – rain forests, lakes, arable land, etc. Biosphere reserves are UNESCO-designated model areas for sustainable development. They are found worldwide.

There are seven biosphere reserves in Sweden: • Kristianstads Vattenrike • Blekinge Archipelago • East Vättern Scarp Landscape • Lake Vänern Archipelago and Mount Kinnekulle • Nedre Dalälven River Landscape • River Voxnan Valley • Vindelälven-Juhtatdahka

Agenda 2030 In 2015 the UN adopted a global agenda for sustainable development.

Biosphere reserves play a key role in this blueprint for the future by showing how work to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals can be put into practice.

Vindelälven-Juhtatdahka

River Voxnan Valley Nedre Dalälven River Landscape

Lake Vänern Archipelago and Mount Kinnekulle East Vättern Scarp Landscape

Blekinge Archipelago Kristianstads Vattenrike

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A local perspective Benefiting nature and people

The long-term objective of the biosphere reserve is to foster change in attitude towards economic, ecological and social sustainability by showing how best to use and conserve the area’s natural values.

The Biosphere Office and naturum Vattenriket are units of the Municipality of Kristianstad. Together with associations, companies and landowners we work to conserve, develop and support the area’s biological, cultural, historical, economic and social values.

Vattenriket’s core values are richness in species, knowledge, ideas, experiences and enjoyment. We believe the way to change attitudes in favour of sustainable development goes through the heart, via fascination and fun.

Making it simpler to experience nature is one way to attract more people. Vattenriket’s 20+ visitor sites have observation towers, marked trails and outdoor museums.

The jewel in our crown is the naturum Vattenriket visitor centre, where well-informed staff welcome visitors from near and far.

and improve access on land and water. We also spread knowledge by making species inventories, collaborating with researchers and arranging conferences.

Results have been positive. At the Pulken visitor site migrating cranes, birdwatchers and farmers co-exist in harmony. Elsewhere, catfish have been successfully reintroduced into the river and otters fish close to the naturum. Today the wetlands are no longer seen as a problem, but as a valuable resource for Kristianstad.

Vattenriket Biosphere Reserve The reserve covers two thirds of the Municipality of Kristianstad, from the forests of Linderödsåsen Ridge to the coast with the rich wetlands of the River Helge å and the city of Kristianstad at its heart.

The naturum also develops pedagogic tools, hosts visits from thousands of school pupils and arranges biosphere camps in the summer. A broad programme of events attracts even those unaccustomed to spending time in the great outdoors.

Some 80,000 people live within the 100,000+ hectares of this varied landscape shaped in part by centuries of cultivation and human activity. The river is flanked by seasonally inundated grasslands, wet forests and reed beds.

The Biosphere Office works to improve conditions for the area’s unique flora and fauna. We create wetlands, restore sandy grasslands, retain water on the seasonally flooded grasslands, create walking trails

Streams cascade from the ridge through ravines and leafy forests, while the sandy grasslands are a unique habitat for many species of flora and fauna.

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The cranes’ B&B. As March turns to April thousands of migrating cranes rest in Vattenriket. The farmers’ spring sowing is an irresistible source of food and the birds can cause enormous damage. At the same time they attract many birdwatchers. To solve the problem a Crane Committee has been set up to feed the cranes on special fields at Pulken, where they do no damage and instead entertain the birdwatchers on and around the observation tower with their courtship dances.

Pulken outdoor museum 13

High and low water Dramatic seasonal variations

The area covered by the River Helge å in Vattenriket varies with the flow and the sea level. In winter the seasonally flooded grasslands lie submerged. When the waters recede in spring the same grasslands provide fresh pasture for cattle and a home to countless plants and animals.

High water 2.07 metres above mean sea level (m asl), February 2020 14

River Helge å, 0.35 m asl at Lillö

River Helge å, 2.07 m asl at Lillö

From Torsebro to the sea the River Helge å flows across Kristianstad Plain. Water levels in the river vary by several metres during the year. Even slight changes transform the landscape, as the rising waters spread over the surrounding grasslands and wetlands.

Vattenriket changes its appearance from day to day.

Kristianstad is a city at the heart of Vattenriket. The river is constantly present and variations in water level are both an opportunity and a challenge. There are opportunities galore for fantastic close-to-nature experiences in rich natural settings. The challenge, however, is to protect the city from flooding.

The extensive seasonally flooded grasslands help prevent the river from inundating the urban centre. As well as acting as a natural reservoir for excess water, the grasslands deliver important ecosystem services such as pasture, recreation and a rich flora and fauna.

Water levels in Kristianstad

— Highest water level 1900-1999: — 2.32 m asl 1928 High water 2002: 2.24 m asl 2 m asl —

1 m asl —

0 m asl —

— Mean sea level + / – 0 m

— Lowest water level measured: 0.33 m below sea level (2015) Values according to Swedish national height system (RH2000)

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Varied countryside

Landscapes shaped by nature and people Geology, climate and proximity to the sea are key to how mankind has used nature here through the ages. But human activity has also left its mark on the varied landscape.

Torsebro

Balsberget

Råbelövssjön

Lake Araslövssjön Kristianstad Ridge Nävlingeåsen

Lake Hammarsjön Ridge Linderödsåsen

Åhus

elge å

River H

Tollarp

Hanöbukten Bay

The forests are mostly on the high ridges and hills, Linderödsåsen, Nävlingeåsen and Balsberget. Between them the wide plain has been repeatedly flooded since the Ice Age. Sand and clay have been deposited, creating fertile soils for many crops: potatoes in the sandy soils, beets in the clay.

From the higher ground to the north, 16

the River Helge å tumbles down to the plain at Torsebro before making its way slowly south through Lakes Araslövssjön and Hammarsjön to the sea at Åhus and Yngsjö. Where the river floods the plain, it creates precious wetlands.

The coast is fringed by tens of kilometres of sandy beaches. Here eel fishing has long been a proud tradition.

Forests and valuable wooded environments

Fast-flowing waters

Sandy grasslands with rotational farming practices

Hanöbukten Bay and the coastal sand dunes

The wetlands that fringe the River Helge å and the lakes 17

Wet and dry

Damp water-meadows and sandy arable land Two extremes meet in Kristianstads Vattenrike: the wet watermeadows that border the River Helge å, and the dry, sandy arable grasslands at Ripa, Horna and Åhus. Both are remnants of an old cultural landscape still very much in evidence.

Seasonally flooded grasslands

Grasslands by the river are flooded by high waters each winter and gradually dry out during the summer. Vattenriket has some of Sweden’s most extensive inland expanses of seasonally flooded grasslands, which are still used for pasture and haymaking.

This creates ideal conditions for many highly specialised species of flora and fauna to thrive here. The black-tailed godwit is just one example.

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Ripa sandar gives a good idea of what the extensive sandy grasslands around Åhus used to look like.

Sandy grasslands

In times gone by, there were large expanses of sandy grasslands around Åhus, Horna and Ripa. The land was used mainly for grazing, but small plots were sometimes cultivated for a few years before being left fallow to allow the meagre soils to recover.

Sand pink

Many plants and animals specially adapted to this rotation system of agriculture can still be seen in the area, including the rare sand pink.

In many locations in the biosphere reserve small patches of land are regularly dug over or ploughed to simulate the rotational agricultural practices that help provide the right conditions for the special flora and fauna that thrive in open fallow land.

Hare-footed leaf cu tter 19

Birds in Vattenriket

A haven for birds – a magnet for birdwatchers A mosaic of wet meadows and forests, reed beds, sand dunes and sandbars makes Vattenriket one of Sweden’s richest areas for birds.

Penduline tit

The penduline tit breeds amid sallow, birch, alder and willow in Vattenriket’s waterside margins. The bulbous nest, often suspended from the end of a branch, is a veritable work of art.

Where: Along the Linnérundan Trail close to the naturum in summer.

Crane

As March turns to April thousands of cranes rest in Vattenriket. They forage for food in the fields and rest overnight in the shallow water at Pulken. To prevent them from damaging newly sown fields, they are fed with grain close to the Pulken birdwatching tower. This also enables thousands of visitors to enjoy the majestic courtship dances of the birds.

Where: Pulken Outdoor Museum, March– April.

Geese

Many different species of geese visit Vattenriket.

Greylags are the dominant species at nesting time.

Later in the autumn migrating barnacle geese, white-fronted geese, Canada geese and bean geese rest here. Occasional visitors include 20

pink-footed and red-breasted geese. Most geese overwinter further south but in mild winters many stay in the area. Nesting greylags arrive in early spring, some laying their eggs as early as in March.

Where: Isternäset, autumn and winter.

White-tailed eagle

The white-tailed eagle is our largest bird of prey.

Vattenriket has several nesting pairs and in winter white-tailed eagles from elsewhere also patrol the river and the seasonally flooded grasslands in search of food. They are often seen above the city centre. Look up next time you’re in town!

Where: Linnérundan Trail and Åsums ängar in winter.

Black-tailed godwit

The black-tailed godwit, one of our most attractive and rarest waders, is Kristianstad’s official “municipal bird”. A summer visitor from April onwards, it favours wet meadows kept open by grazing and haymaking. Håslövs ängar in May is the best spot to see black-tailed godwits displaying, alongside common snipe, curlews, lapwings and redshanks.

Where: Håslövs ängar, early summer.

Kingfisher

The common kingfisher is sometimes likened to an airborne jewel, its blue, turquoise and orange plumage shimmering as the bird darts past.

Kingfishers live beside slow-moving water and excavate a nest burrow 50 centimetres into the sandy banks.

They feed on small fish caught by diving into the water from a nearby perch. Kingfishers raise up to three broods a year and spend the winter in Sweden, although many starve to death during prolonged cold weather.

Where: By the naturum, mostly in winter.

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Lake Hammarsjön

Shallow waters provide numerous habitats Hammarsjön, ten kilometres long and four kilometres wide, is a shallow, nutrient-rich lake. It is constantly changing appearance, both in the short term and in the longer perspective.

Lake Hammarsjön varies considerably in depth and size depending on the season.

The average depth is just 70 centimetres, but in winter the water can be up to twice as deep. To understand just how big the lake is, you should really take a boat trip.

There are wide expanses of open water with high waves, but also calmer areas with thick vegetation and relatively clear water.

Herculesviken

Two such areas are the inlets at Kvarnnäsviken and Herculesviken. The brown, humus-rich water from the River Helge å

Herculesviken 22

seldom reaches these parts, so there are patches of dense underwater vegetation with pondweed, charales and trailing plants. Several of these plants are an important source of food for ducks and swans; others are home to the bugs and insects on which fish and waterfowl feed.

The once common clumps of rushes have now more or less vanished, partly perhaps as a result of an influx of greylag geese, although other factors have no doubt played their part.

A century ago Lake Hammarsjön supported seven full-time fishermen.

Fifty years later large catches of pike were still being exported to France.

Today there is no commercial fishing on the lake.

ke Hammarsjön

s traps on La herman and hi

A fis

in 2004.

Lake Hammarsjön, seen from the north.

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Fast-flowing waters

Water crowfoot tresses swirling in the rapids Vattenriket’s streams and rivers plunge through beech forest ravines, drive water mills and meander across dry meadows, past hayfields and thickets of willow and sallow.

Vattenriket is home to ostrich ferns, wild garlic, orchids and sand pinks. In summer river water crowfoot swirls in the fastflowing River Vramsån like metre-long tresses of hair studded with a thousand tiny white flowers.

The oxygen-rich water and the contrasts of sun and shade, rapids and calmer waters create very high natural values.

Freshwater pearl m ussel

The insect population along some stretches of river is prolific: up to 60 species and 4,000 insects per square metre.

Grey wagtails and dippers feast on caddis worms, stoneflies and water bugs. You may even glimpse a kingfisher darting past.

Here, too, is every Swedish species of large freshwater mussel and some of the country’s densest mussel populations.

Among the rarities is the freshwater pearl mussel, one of the largest mussels that can live to be more than 200 years old.

The waters teem with a variety of fish including loach, brook lamprey and gudgeon. Sea trout climb the ladders in the mill races to reach the spawning grounds in an amazing natural spectacle that takes place here each autumn.

River water crowfoot at Gärds Köpinge.

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White-throated dipp er

Brown trout Forsakar Waterfall, Degeberga.

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Vattenriket’s fishes

Great diversity in many different environments Shallow, slow-flowing waters warmed by the summer sun. Shady depths that retain the cold. Sandy sea-beds. Bays and inlets thick with vegetation. Deep rivers with muddy bottoms. Fast-flowing water tumbling over rocks. With so many different habitats Vattenriket is one of Sweden’s species-richest areas for fish.

The catfish is one of the world’s biggest freshwater fish. The Swedish record, a 3.6 metre 180-kilo giant, was caught in Lake Båven in the 1800s. We have also had some local monsters: one in Lake Ivösjön was said to measure 3.1 metres.

River Helge å

European catfish feed mostly on other fish but also eat crayfish, frogs and voles. They need warm water in which to breed and dense vegetation with plenty of tree roots.

The River Helge å is ideal. Catfish were common here before industrial effluents killed them off in the 1960s. Twelve were released into the River Helge å in 1999 and today catfish live and breed in the river once again.

Catfish

There are healthy populations of stone loach in two local rivers, Vramsån and Vinnöån. In bygone times loach were released into the rivers as a food fish, but they can’t have made much of a meal, as they seldom grow beyond 15 centimetres.

Today stone loach are rare, so if you do happen to catch one, be sure to release it back into the river – just as you should do with a catfish.

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Vramsån

Stone loach

At least 38 species of fish – 32 of which spawn in fresh water – have been caught in Vattenriket’s lakes and rivers. Such diversity is due to the abundance of different aquatic environments in the biosphere reserve.

The white bream (or silver bream) is one of our most common yet least known fish. A member of the carp family often confused with the common bream, it is named for its silvery white scales. White bream live in lakes with plenty of vegetation. The adults eat snails, insect larvae and bottomdwelling insects.

It is not a food fish, but if you’re keen to set a record, white bream in Vattenriket can grow to be really big. For many years the Swedish record was held by a 1.090 kilo specimen caught in the River Helge å between Lake Araslövssjön and Lake Hammarsjön in 1984.

FISH CAUGHT IN VATTENRIKET’S LAKES AND RIVERS 1. Perch 2. White bream 3. Common bream 4. Brook lamprey 5. Minnow 6. Blue bream 7. River lamprey 8. Chub 9. Stone loach 10. Pike 11. Ruffe 12. Pike-perch 13. Sea lamprey 14. Ide 15. Carp 16. Burbot 17. Salmon 18. Bleak 19. Catfish 20. Roach 21. Rainbow trout 22. Crucian carp

23. Plaice 24. Gudgeon 25. Common dab 26. Rudd 27. European whitefish 28. Atlantic herring 29. Flounder 30. Sichel 31. Nine-spine stickleback 32. European bullhead 33. Three-spine stickleback 34. Tench 35. Cod 36. Vimba bream 37. Eel 38. Brown trout

White bream 27

Explore Vattenriket Close to nature

Vattenriket’s varied surroundings and huge diversity of species are a dream come true for nature lovers. Cycling, hiking, canoeing, fishing, birdwatching – there are many ways to enjoy Vattenriket.

Walking

There are several marked trails in Vattenriket and in and around Kristianstad. Näsby fält to the north has broadleaf forests with wood anemones and wild garlic. The Linnérundan Trail leads from the naturum over seasonally flooded grasslands to the medieval ruins of Lillö Castle. South of the city are the majestic oaks and lush greenery of Ekenabben’s wet forest. Further south the Sannastigen Trail leads from Åhus over the golf links to the open sandy grasslands west of Åhus. Subtrail SL6 of the Skåne Trail runs through the entire area.

Cycling

In Vattenriket you can cycle along old rail tracks, unpaved roads and cycle paths.

Make a full-day excursion to Lake Råbelövssjön, the beach at Äspet or the lush green slopes of Linderödsåsen Ridge. For a longer trip the 80 kilometre “Vattenriket Circuit” will take you to 12 of Vattenriket’s visitor sites.

Birdwatching

In winter eagles patrol the coastline and rarities such as great bittern and water rail may be spotted around holes in the ice.

Spring brings flocks of cranes, ducks and the courtship displays of waders. Black-tailed godwits flutter across the seasonally flooded grasslands. Common snipe dive through the air. The Eurasian curlew calls 28

from fields and meadows. Osprey hover above the shallow lakes. A flock of black terns sweeps past. In late summer waders rest on the offshore sandbanks and flocks of geese congregate on the stubble fields.

Canoeing

Few activities are as restful or as close to nature as slowly canoeing down the River Helge å past reed banks, forests and open grasslands.

Fishing

Shallow lakes on the plain, fast-flowing streams, beaches, river mouths, freshwater, saltwater. Vattenriket’s varied waters make fishing fun all year round.

The naturum programme ha s tips for activiti es with nature interpreters an d groups. Th e naturum also has excursion guides and m aps, and you can borrow rucksacks and binocula rs to explore Vattenriket yo urself.

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A year in Vattenriket Every season has its attraction

In spring the cranes dance and the grasslands come to life. In summer a dip in the sea or a boat trip is a great way to cool down. In autumn the pike are biting and thousands of waders rest on their migration south. But the white-tailed eagles stay despite the winter snow.

Vattenriket’s visitor sites help you to experience and enjoy it all.

Crane

Dwarf everlast

Early spring. Snow one day, brilliant sunshine the next. Brown trout in the streams, migrating cranes by the thousand, and forest floors carpeted with spring flowers.

Summer. Hot days are best enjoyed by cool water. Combine sun, sand and sea with a visit to the birdwatching tower at Äspet or a trip on the River Helge å. Don’t miss the flowers on the sandy grasslands on your way to the coast.

Autumn/winter. As summer ends, pike fishing starts in earnest. Thousands of migrating geese rest in Vattenriket each autumn, and in winter eagles wheel in the skies above Kristianstad. Some years the frozen wetlands are ideal for ice-skating.

gle White-tailed ea

30 30

Late spring. The loveliest time of the year in Vattenriket. The seasonally inundated grasslands are teeming with life, the air is filled with birdsong and the croaking of frogs. Leaves are in bud in the beech forests and orchids bloom in the damp pastures.

Håslövs ängar 31

B l Ballingslöv öv

Discover

Vankiva V an nkiva n kiva va Stoby St oby

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Vattenriket’s visitor sites Unforgettable experiences await you all year round at Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve’s visitor sites, many of which are accessible for wheelchair users.

Here are observation towers, boardwalks and outdoor museums.

All visitor sites are described in the excursion guide «Explore Vattenriket» and our homepage vattenriket.kristianstad.se.

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Visitor sites

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Naturum Vattenriket................................

Aosehus.........................................................

3 Balsberget....................................................

4 Degeberga backar...................................

5 Ekenabben...................................................

6 Fjällmossen..................................................

7 Forsakar.........................................................

8 Gropahålet...................................................

9 Hercules.........................................................

10 Håslövs ängar.............................................

11 Kanalhuset....................................................

12 Karpalundsdammarna............................

13 Lillö and Lillö Castle ruins.....................

14 Sweden’s lowest point............................

15 Mosslunda....................................................

16 Näsby fält......................................................

17 Pulken.............................................................

18 Stork Centre................................................

19 Sånnarna.......................................................

20 River Vramsån.............................................

21 Åsums ängar................................................

22 Äspet...............................................................

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33

Each of the 32 naturum visitor centres in Sweden is your gatewayAbisko to a unique natural environment.

Laponia

Vindelfjällen Ammarnäs Vindelfjällen Hemavan

Vålådalen

Höga kusten Ånge

Fulufjället Dalarna Färnebofjärden Värmland Nationalparkernas hus

Kosterhavet

Stendörren

Vänerskärgården Hornborgasjön

Tåkern Sommen Västervik

Fjärås Bräcka Getterön

Trollskogen

Kullaberg Söderåsen Skrylle Öresund

34

Gotland

Store mosse Ottenby Blekinge Stenshuvud

Vattenriket

Would you like to know more?

Visit our homepage, read our annual reports, follow our blogs, ask for our excursion guides and maps.

All are available on vattenriket.kristianstad.se

Contact details Address: Naturumsvägen 2, SE_291 59 Kristianstad E-mail: naturum@kristianstad.se Telephone +46 (0)44 13 23 30 Homepage: vattenriket.kristianstad.se Facebook: www.facebook.com/NaturumVattenriket Instagram: vattenriket

More about Vattenriket – more details about the naturum exhibition Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve, Second edition 2020.

Graphic design: Ebba Trolle.

Text: Åsa Pearce, Karin Magntorn and Ebba Trolle.

Cover photo: Naturum Vattenriket, Patrik Olofsson/N. Photos/Illustrations: Patrik Olofsson/N (pp.4, 5, 7, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31), Hans Cronert (pp.2, 15), Sven Persson Swelo (pp.2, 3), Mattias Roos (p.4), Claes Sandén (p.7), Adobe Stock (pp.10, 18, 20, 25), Precious People (p.4), Biosphere Office (pp.2, 7, 8, 9, 19, 22, 23, 26, 27), Carina Lindkvist/Naturcentrum AB (p.16).

Paper: Cover 250 g Arctic Volume White; Insert 115 g Arctic Volume White.

Printed by: Ljungbergs Tryckeri AB. Translated by: Fluid Translation This edition: 1,000 copies ISBN: 978-91-633-2309-6.

ISSN: 1653-9338.

The naturum Vattenriket visitor centre is your gateway to Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve. On the ground floor is an exhibition filled with hands-on activities and information about Vattenriket’s rich and varied nature. Read more in this brochure.

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