Stråsø Plantation

History

Almost 14,000 years ago, plants began to slowly migrate in, and the forest slowly spread across Denmark. With the forest also came a number of animal species that were prey for the first people who came to the area. Immediately east of Stråsø Plantage, traces of Stone Age settlements have been found, and in the plantation itself there are a number of burial mounds from ancient times. The farmers of the time cleared the forest and cultivated the land for a few years until it was exhausted, after which new forest was cleared. As a result, the forest disappeared and the heaths spread. Stråsø Plantage does have areas with oak thickets, which are believed to be remnants of the original forest. The heaths were also cultivated, but the soil was poor, and the heath farmers had to have larger areas to be able to get a sufficient yield. Large parts of the heaths and meadows along the streams were used for grazing.

 

The heaths were at their greatest extent in the mid-17th century, but up until about 1800, the heaths made up about 40% of Jutland's total area. After that, cultivation took off, and in 1950, the heaths only made up about 8% of Jutland's area. This development had already led to a number of large heath areas being protected at the beginning of the 20th century. However, the protection was not enough, because without care, the heaths grew. In 1891, the Danish state bought the Stråsøgaard heath farm to plant it and thereby reduce sand drift and produce wood for the area. The farm has given its name to the entire plantation, which grew as the state bought up land in the area until 1940-42. However, part of the plantation remained heath, which is continuously cared for, including by burning. In the years 2011-15, a particularly large effort was made on the heaths in Stråsø Plantage as part of a large EU-Life project. Stråsø Plantage contains a very large population of red deer and also exciting species such as the great newt, kingfisher, thornbill, nightjar, otter, and osprey and white-tailed eagles are also occasionally seen.

Natura2000 area no. 64 – Heaths and dunes on Skovbjerg Bakkeø, Idom Å and Ormstrup Heath

The Natura2000 area covers a total of 2,214 ha. Of this, 62% is owned by the state, of which Nørre and Sønder Vosborg heaths and areas along the Idom Å are located in Geopark Vestjylland. The area's most important natural values are linked to areas with both wet and dry heath, inland dunes, juniper and oak thickets and areas along the Idom Å, which is one of Denmark's cleanest and most undisturbed watercourses. Both the Danish Nature Agency and Holstebro Municipality, in collaboration with local landowners, carry out care of the area by clearing overgrowth, mowing, burning and grazing, etc.

Collaboration with Geopark West Jutland

The Danish Nature Agency is a very large landowner and a significant partner in the development of the geopark. The local forester has been a member of the steering committee for the geopark from the beginning. In Stråsø Plantage and many of the other areas owned by the Danish Nature Agency, recreational paths and routes with associated outdoor facilities have been created. The Danish Nature Agency also offers guided nature walks and education.