ヘルネの天然記念物・トップ20

Anyone who travels through the region with "blue-green glasses" will be amazed at how many streams and small bodies of water can be discovered, even in the heart of the city. Some of them have only recently seen the light of day again, such as the Ostbach. It was rerouted from an underground canal into a near-natural streambed in 2023. The effort is worthwhile in many ways: Open watercourses can absorb more water during rainfall than closed canals, they are important habitats for animals and plants, and on hot summer days, evaporation cools the air. A little further upstream, in the Emschergenossenschaft's Blue Classroom, students can take a closer look at these and other aspects of the so-called blue-green infrastructure. More information on the Ostbach renaturation: https://www.eglv.de/medien/ostbach-erobert-neues-bachbett/

Info from Emscherkunstweg https://emscherkunstweg.de/kunstwerk/koenigsgrube/

A former pumping station of the Emschergenossenschaft (Emscher Coal ... Drops of water and sounds emerge from it. Where the over 12-meter-deep basin once stood, and rainwater does not naturally seep away, a fen forest is emerging, a biotope of seven advanced black alder trees that prefers moist conditions and is reminiscent of the floodplain landscapes along the Emscher River in pre-industrial times. On the paved forecourt, local rainwater is collected via gutters in a cistern and, together with the photovoltaic pergola, enables completely self-sufficient operation. As an artistically redesigned ruin, Jeschaunig's work points to both the magnificent technologies and the enormous ecological destruction that mining brought with it, while simultaneously pointing a way for new life and climate-positive spaces to emerge in the city.

You have to look closely not to miss the stone. A parked car is enough.

Very beautiful forest area with beautiful small streams

Opening is March 25

You drive right past because the stone is only about 30 cm high and is on the footpath at the edge of a property. Parked vehicles don't make it any easier to see. What would have happened if the center point had been right on the street?😉

Certainly not a highlight, but one end of the NSG Langeloh.