Göksholm, Naturreservat

The Göksholm nature reserve consists of pastures and deciduous forest areas with many old, large oaks and other deciduous trees. And it is precisely the deciduous trees that are the reason why the area was protected. The fact that oaks, lime trees and other deciduous trees have existed here for a very long time makes the Göksholm peninsula a popular habitat for a wide range of rare and endangered species.

Farmed land with a long history

Göksholm has a long and exciting history. The farm's manor house is Sweden's oldest stone building that is still inhabited. Måns Bengtsson Natt och Dag, who was accused of murdering Engelbrekt in 1436, lived here. The farm's location in the middle of the Hjälmaren plains is well suited to cattle farming. Maps from the second half of the 19th century show that most of the reserve area consisted of hay meadows, where hay was harvested for winter feed for the animals. When agriculture was modernized in the 20th century, much of the hayfields were converted to pasture. The lowering of Lake Hjälmaren in the 1880s converted many previously wet areas into arable land. In the pasture west of Tomta there used to be a summer barn for dairy cows and at Björknäs there was a windmill and a brickworks in the 19th century.

Pastures with old deciduous trees

The area's high natural values are primarily linked to old deciduous trees in open and grazed land. Deciduous trees have grown here for a very long time, both broadleaf trees such as oak and lime, as well as other deciduous trees. As a result, it is home to many rare plants, fungi and animals. Among lichens and mosses we find species such as brown needle lichen, blunt feather moss, tree porella and trap moss. Göksholm is also a popular place for bats, with no less than six different species. Among the plants, we find, for example, soapwort, fern, toothwort and the slightly special yellow-flowering spring barley.

Deciduous swamp forest

In the swamp forest next to the shore, nature is allowed to take care of itself, which provides a varied environment that favors bird life, among other things. This forest began to grow after the Hjälmaren lake was lowered. There are deciduous trees such as silver birch and silver birch in various ages. Many different insects move into the dead and dying trees, which in turn become food for woodpeckers, for example. The reserve is also home to birds such as ospreys, tits and tits. Various larks and egrets like to rest in the open fields.