A wooden walkway leads to an observation tower in the middle of the nature reserve. Let us climb up and peer out at the lake from up above. With a little luck we will be able to see swans, pochards and black coots, or we can marvel at the sea eagles and cranes flying in circles. The glittering water forms the core of the nature park. Also, you can see vast moorland areas, such as the moraine formation with sandy coastal crests, the ridges of the mountain ranges and the long meadowlands.
The major ecological habitats are the wetlands on the west coast of the lake, the dead moor in the north-east and the nearby dunes north of the lake as well as alder forests, that are dispersed throughout different regions around the lake.
Look, we are lucky: a western curlew! How proudly it struts over the marshes. It has the longest bill of all the birds found at Lake Steinhuder Meer. The western curlew feels at home in this habitation, just like the black-tailed godwit, the common snipe, and not to forget, the great stork. This makes Lake Steinhuder Meer an internationally important wetland, with ten thousands of waders, water and migratory birds using it as their breeding and resting ground. Let us now descend the tower and continue on, leaving the landscape and animals of our region behind. You can get more specific information from the experts in the Ecological Protection Station in Winzlar (ÖSSM), the Nature Park House in Mardorf or in the Nature Park Information Center in Steinhude.