Björka fälad, Naturreservat

Björka fälad is a municipal nature reserve on the outskirts of Helsingborg. In the northern part, there is an old open hayfield and pasture. Here you can find meadow flowers such as stonewort, almond flower and bluebell. To the south, on both sides of Väla farm, new pastures have been created to expand the natural area and to connect Björka fälad with Väla forest. You can walk freely in or around the pastures, which have no marked paths. There are resting places for those who want to take out their lunch bags. The location close to the city makes it easy to get here by bike and bus. Parking is available along Kanonvägen at Väla gård. There is also an access point to the Väla forest nature reserve.

Old meadows and pastures

Björka fälad has been used as hay meadows and pastures for a long time, probably for several hundred years. According to the land surveyor's maps, the land was used for haymaking as early as the 18th century. Usually the grazing animals were let out to graze after the hay had been harvested. In the 20th century, the land was mainly used as pasture. The fact that the land has been used as fodder for so long, and that it has never been plowed, has led to today's special flora. There are plants such as almond blossom, stonewort, little bluebell and meadow saxifrage. This old field represents a habitat type that is increasingly rare today.

Shrubland with small birds and bats

Björka fälad also has older deciduous trees, flowering shrubs, small lakes and proximity to mature broadleaf forest. This is welcomed by small birds such as blackcaps, warblers, greenfinches, robins, iron sparrows and black-and-white flycatchers. Other birds that you can see in the area are the greater and lesser spotted woodpecker.

Bats are also present in the reserve. The four species that have been recorded are the greater brown bat, the lesser pipistrelle, the northern bat and the mustached bat, also known as the taiga bat. Open water, hollow trees and insect-pollinated plants are important for these winged hunters.

Unusual fungi and bugs

An unusual red-listed fungus found in Björka fälad is the coral tick. Other species of conservation interest are the fungi rust tick and judas ear, and the moss red-toothed moss. Examples of rare beetles that depend on dead wood and older deciduous trees are the gray-banded wood gnawer and the black-brown brown beetle.

Outdoor life

Björka fälad is located near Ödåkra and the Väla commercial area on the outskirts of Helsingborg. The wooded area to the north and the old pasture are used by preschools for most of the year. The location close to the city makes it easy to get here by bus and bike. Parking and access points are located along Kanongatan, just north of Väla farm.

At the parking lot there is a picnic area with benches and tables that are accessible. There is a barbecue area with seats outside the old pasture further north. There are no landscaped paths, but you are welcome to roam freely and use the fence crossings in the pastures. It is also possible to walk outside the pastures on a polished grass strip. From Björka fälad's parking lot you can continue into the Väla forest nature reserve with trails and more outdoor facilities.