Water buffalo on the pasture in Chemnitz
Environment Agency invites you to the "Wild Willows" excursion on 20 June, from 5 to 7 pm
On Tuesday, 20 June, from 5 p.m. to around 7 p.m., interested parties are invited to an excursion on the topic of "Landscape conservation through grazing with water buffalo" on the site of the former ammunition depot on Eubaer Straße. The meeting point is the small car park opposite the Euba dam. Participation is free of charge.
Grazing with water buffalo in Chemnitz? Water buffalo are usually known in Asia, where they are used to plough rice fields. In this country, water buffaloes are used rather rarely, but due to their claw position they are primarily used for biotope maintenance of wetland/swamp sites.
The excursion is intended to show how landscape management through extensive, nature-friendly grazing can and should have a positive effect on the character of the area. It will also show how agriculture and nature conservation can work together. Farmer Tim Winkler and representatives of the Lower Nature Conservation Authority, City of Chemnitz Environmental Agency, will each provide information from their perspective and answer questions on the topic.
Since 2022, the former military property of the CIS armed forces on Eubaer Straße near the Euba dam has been extensively grazed with water buffalo by the Büschelhof Eibenberg agricultural enterprise in cooperation with the Chemnitz Nature Conservation Station/City of Chemnitz Environmental Agency. The aim is to preserve semi-open biotopes and reduce scrub encroachment in order to preserve the habitat of rare plants, animals and fungi.
Open and semi-open landscapes such as this area can be preserved and promoted more effectively and cost-effectively through grazing than through mechanical measures. This is because, unlike with mowing, the grazing animals graze the areas selectively, i.e. piece by piece, due to the low stocking density. This creates a high-quality mosaic in the landscape in terms of nature conservation, which also always provides sufficient residual populations for native insects.
Robust breeds such as the water buffalo also utilise inferior forage such as reeds, bulrushes and the dominant land-grass and are therefore particularly suitable for maintaining this area.