Seevengeti at Steller Lake

Due to nutrient-poor soils and a sunny, dry location, a habitat for many threatened animal and plant species developed here.

Here lies the great savanna Seevengeti

In fact, the nutrient-poor grassland, the thorn bushes and open sandy areas are more reminiscent of the steppes of East Africa than of the typical Elbe marsh landscape. This 10-hectare (or small) "steppe" was created during the construction of the Maschen marshalling yard in the 1970s. Rock and unusable soil were heaped up on the area of today's Seevengeti on Lake Steller and left to nature. They gladly accepted the offer and created habitats that are atypical for this area, but therefore all the more valuable, e.g. B. for rare insects, birds and plants.
One problem over time was the dense growth of birch trees, which became a threat to this gem. Regular clearing work by committed nature conservationists resulted in a fight against windmills and new ideas were needed to protect this area more effectively from overgrowth.

The decisive inspiration came from the Serengeti in Tanzania: there the trees and bushes, despite their thorns and prickles, are unable to dominate the savannah. The herds of herbivores such as buffalo, zebra and antelope are responsible for this. Their grazing behavior ensures a balance that benefits all residents of this habitat.

It was to be the same with Maschen – the idea of a “Seevengeti” was born.
A paradise for the red-backed shrike.
Now there are no zebras and antelopes running around there, instead cattle do their work. They push back burgeoning bushes and trees and use their hooves to ensure that open sandy soil develops and stays there. This does not mean that the area is "tree-free" - especially thorny trees and older oaks with thicker bark survive this process and fulfill their tasks as part of this natural landscape.

A viewing platform allows a view of this biotope, which is subject to constant change - after all, nobody tells the cattle where they have to eat and trample! The Steller See, over which white-tailed eagles like to circle, is also good.
Source: nabu-winsen-luhe.de/projects/seevengeti