Holtwick juniper heath

The juniper heath on the edge of the Hohe Mark is a nature reserve with impressively grown juniper bushes. The area consists of an old, continuous stand of junipers closely intertwined with remnants of dwarf shrub heath and oak-birch forest.

It lies at the foot of a dry valley which, like many other dry valleys in the area, originated and was formed during the ice ages. This also explains why there are differences in altitude of up to 20 m in the heathland, which is only 6 ha in size.

The densely packed juniper, with its enormous variety of shapes and heights, undoubtedly gives the area its character. Smaller areas of broom and bell heather are scattered here and there. They are an ideal sunny spot for the warmth-loving sand lizard and slow worm. However, both often remain hidden from visitors to the area. The song of the yellowhammer can be heard from some of the old oak trees, and many other bird species can be found here.

The history of this landscape can be found on the information boards on the nature trail. Like many other heathland areas in the surrounding area (e.g. the Westruper Heide), the Holtwicker Wacholderheide is the result of centuries of common land use.

The cultivation of certain forests and fields, the so-called Marken, was a common right. However, uncontrolled and excessive use of the forests through logging, forest grazing and scattered use left its mark: the forests became thinner, there was no young growth and the soil leached out. Only a few specialists were still able to grow here: the heather plants.

A landscape of juniper, broom and bell heather emerged. Now vast, treeless heathland formed the livelihood of the poor population, the heathland farmers: stable bedding (as a substitute for straw) and fertilizer were obtained from heather flags. Heather hay was used as fodder for sheep in winter. In summer, the flock of sheep was allowed to graze on the heath. The juniper, however, was disdained by the sheep due to its bitter taste and grew into dense stands as a pasture weed in some places, such as in the Holtwicker Wacholderheide.

By the middle of the 19th century, however, the end of heathland farming had come. The common land was gradually privatized, and the invention of artificial fertilizers meant that more and more heathland could be converted to arable use. Plough fertilization had become superfluous and the need for stable bedding could now be covered by the straw produced during cereal cultivation. Other former heathland areas were used as grassland or afforested, especially with fast-growing conifers such as Scots pine for mining in the Ruhr region. As a result, the proportion of heathland decreased rapidly. Only a few remnants of the formerly extensive heathland could still be placed under protection before they too had to give way to agriculture or forestry.

Since 1936, the Holtwicker Wacholderheide has also been a nature reserve, and not just because it should be preserved as a cultural and historical testimony. In fact, the once common heath-typical flora and fauna still find a last habitat here.