Zugwiesen
Along the banks of the busy river Neckar, just a few hundred meters from the main shipping lane, lies one of the most peaceful natural reserve areas near the large city of Ludwigsburg - a small branch of the main Neckar river, seperated from the straightened and deepend commercial shipping route, renaturated and left to the elements as a perfect refuge for fish, birds and other local or transient wildlife. Known locally as the "Zugwiesen", a pathway for visitors has been cut through this area, keeping people far enough from the animals so as to not disturb them, but allowing them a close look into the wonders that southwestern German wildlife has to offer. Enjoy these detail pictures of the scenery that I took recently while visiting the area!
1. Walking down the walkway designed for the human visitors, this swan bridges the distance between his brethren and their human observers - as the sun is setting and the last strollers are leaving, he prepares to take back the reign of his kingdom.
2. Caused by an invisible obstacle below, this disturbance in the water flowing down the renaturated canal caught my eye as I was walking along the river. Something like this is what made a river a thriving place before humans took control - now, with every river dug and straightened to allow for large cargo ships, something like this would be seen as a hindrance - not a chance for fish to lay their eggs, for insects and larvae to thrive, or for birds to find food. In this natural refuge, something like this is now an opportunity - no longer an obstacle!
3. What looks like an observation tower makes for the end of the trip - but this worthy destination is far more than that - on top of the tower an artificial nesting place for stork families has been built, and the island it is standing on is surrounded entirely by water, deterring anyone who might want to venture further into the animal kingdom beyond. All of these things make this less a bulwark of human intervention, but much rather a place for the silent observer, subtly integrated into the surrounding nature.
4. Leading to the island on which the end of our walk is to be found, a small winding wooden walkway lined with informational signs takes us just a few centimeters above the waters surface, making the schools of tiny fish hiding from the birds of prey circling above visible in the shallows, only disturbed by the occasinal larger fish passing by or a snake swimming across the surface, its head just barely sticking out of the waves. Such a bridge offers us a non-destructive insight into a world usually obscured by drifting silt and mud, now finally revealed thanks to the incredible stillness of the water.
5. Peeking around the bush, we can just barely see the distant main waterway - a buoy marking the exit to the reserve and the entry into the main shipping canal - from there onwards, nature is disturbed and replaced by human intervention. Up until then, we can enjoy the serenity of the waves reflecting the sunset.
6. The last picture of this series may seem a little generic - after all, beaches like this seem to exist all around the world. But do they? The Zugwiesen offer a unique habitat for many species, allowing a new generation to experience a new kind of natural reserve - a bridge not just between water and air, but also a wave softening the lines between technology, progress and nature and wildlife. Enjoy!
All Images were taken with a Sony Alpha 5000 Camera and a Canon 50mm prime lens (maximum aperture f1.8). The Copyright remains with the author (FlyingKajak). These images may be reproduced for noncommercial, nonprofit purposes (e. g. school projects, YouTube-Channels with less than 1000 subscribers, art projects). For reproduction with the intent to generate profit (use in commercials, magazines or newspapers, company websites, selling reprints) please contact the author via the e-mail adress or instagram account given below (flyingkajak@gmail.com) to request permission. If you would like to use higher resolutions of these images, please contact the author.