Stone ridges are a typical landscape element of the Eastern Ore Mountains. Over the centuries, farmers have repeatedly moved obstructive stones from their fields and meadows to the edge of their strip of land. Woody plants settled on them and were used as firewood every 20 to 30 years. They sprouted again from the stock (tree stump) and formed a loose bush on the well-sunlit stone walls. Fire lilies and bush carnations, for example, were able to bloom here without having to give way to competition from grasses or shrubs. Lizards, weasels and the now very rare adders found shelter between the stones, and the bushes provided nesting opportunities and food for many birds. But in recent decades hardly anyone has used the wood or piled up stones. Today, most of the stone ridges are overgrown with grass and heavily shaded, which means that valuable habitat for plant and animal species typical of the Eastern Ore Mountains is lost. This is why the Green League of the Eastern Ore Mountains has started to maintain the stone ridges in the traditional way. Supported by the large-scale nature conservation project Mountain Meadows in the Eastern Ore Mountains and the EU EPLER program, many farmers and associations have been able to contribute to the preservation of the stone ridges.