Furilden, Naturreservat

Thanks to local commitment, Furildens nature reserve is now very accessible, even for those who come with a stroller or in a wheelchair. From the parking lot inside Östervik, a paved path leads to an adapted barbecue area and further about 800 meters to a bird tower with a ramp. From the bird tower, you have a good view of the bird-rich beach meadows inside Fitudden.

The nature reserve has an area of 1.3 square kilometers, of which about two-thirds is covered by coniferous forest. Pine is the dominant tree species. The forest in the central and southern part of the area is heavily grazed and characterized by relatively sparse old coarse and gnarled pine trees, many of which are sparsely branched and sunlit, which favors many different species of wood-eating insects. Shrubs include mainly juniper, rosehips and hawthorn. The forest has a rich herbaceous flora. Within the wooded part of the area there are several small wetlands and damp areas.

The northeastern part of the reserve consists of a beach meadow area of just over 20 hectares that is almost completely devoid of trees and shrubs. Bird life is especially rich in the meadow, and the birds nesting here include greylag goose, mallard, spoonbill, curlew, oystercatcher, tufted plover, greater sandpiper, red-legged kittiwake, herring gull, common tern and little tern. In the northeast you can see the low-lying island of Skenholmen, which also has a rich bird life with, among other things, nesting lesser black-backed gulls.

An excellent way to get acquainted with the nature reserve is to walk the 2-kilometer hiking trail that runs through the area.