“Attention Raupe!” someone shouts. We are standing at the Langes Elsenfließ und Wegendorfer Mühlenfließ. This natural reserve is a special place. It is located near Altlandsberg. That is in Brandenburg. The Langes Elsenfließ und Wegendorfer Mühlenfließ spans 205 hectares. It gained protected status on June 26, 2003.
The area sits north of Altlandsberg’s town center. Landesstraße L 30 cuts through it. To the northeast is L 235. Autobahn A 10 lies southwest.
Langes Elsenfließ and Wegendorfer Mühlenfließ form a valley system. It has two arms. They stretch from Werneuchen and Wegendorf to Altlandsberg. The valleys are set into the surrounding landscape. This landscape is mostly used for farming.
These valleys feature fens along the streams. Wegendorfer Mühlenfließ has many spring mires on its valley edge. This makes it one of Brandenburg’s best-preserved Durchströmungsmoore.
The vegetation reveals much about the area’s history and water conditions. A diverse pattern of land use is visible. In recent decades, shrubs and trees have grown into the valleys. Some former meadows are still used for grazing or mowing.
Many species thrive in these calcareous fens. These include Schwarzschopf Segge and Pracht-Nelke. You can also find Stumpfblütige Binse and Schlangen Knöterich here. Großer Wiesenknopf, Gewöhnlicher Teufelsabbiss, and Sumpf-Baldrian are present too.
Efforts are underway to manage the growth of woody plants. This happens in cooperation with local land users. The project supports sustainable land use. It focuses on difficult, wet areas. Support is available for using reed and sedge areas for the first time. Stabilizing summer water levels is also a goal. The Langes Elsenfließ und Wegendorfer Mühlenfließ is more than just a protected area. It is a living landscape.