Skibsted Fjord/inlet
Skibsted Fjord, Brokær and the coastal salt meadows around Boddum.
Unique natural treasure goes after first place
The great and cohesive areas of nature make the area of Brokær quite unique. The size, quality and density of alkaline fens and petrifying springs are a unique characteristic of Brokær. It is one of the only areas in Denmark where it is possible, even on a short trip, to experience steep cliffs, babbling springs, thick reed swamp, boggy marshes, impenetrable willow scrub and bumpy meadows. There are several high-quality gems of nature in the area.
In addition to the wide-spread nature areas around Boddum and Skibsted Fjord, the Brokær area is particularly valuable network in Denmark. Here nature is the next-door neighbor to nature. Now we strive for this spectacular area to achieve a supreme first place in the ranking of reserves in Denmark.
The hidden alkaline fens and petrifying springs must be found
Although the area already presents several impressive alkaline fens, new area with the unique and diverse vegetation of alkaline fens can be found among reed and scrub. Hidden – and forgotten - petrifying springs can be found and become open areas for sunlight, insects and small rare plants.
We will examine:
- Where in the area the habitats are found.
- Whether any special species are found in the area.
- Whether the water level in the area is suitable – for both nature and landowner.
In addition we will be able to promote the fine nature preservation in the area by:
- Clearing overgrown nature areas.
- Establish or improve the conditions for grazing/preservation of the areas.
- Establish advantageously water level – for both nature and landowner.
We turn things around
The water level of some areas in Brokær makes optimal grazing in the areas difficult for the cattle. The management of other areas has completely stopped resulting in such a degree of overgrowing that the cattle cannot keep up. Consequently the valuable nature disappears. Around Boddum and Skibsted Fjord small isolated alkaline fens and petrifying springs are found at the foot of the cliffs around the area. In several places the management of the areas has stopped, the coherence disappears and the areas are slowly lost among reed and scrub.
There is hope yet, however. There are still valuable habitats of high quality in the area and several smaller areas can turn into alkaline fens again. As a baseline there is a lot of sense to protecting what good we already have and from here exploit the existing potential. For this reason the nature reserve around Brokær and the meadows of Boddum and Skibsted are part of RigKilde LIFE.