Lillehem, Naturreservat

The 9 km long Blåvingeleden trail links Lillehem with the adjacent nature reserves. And in the gently undulating pasture landscape you can also walk on unmarked paths. Our ancestors also appreciated the beauty of the Äskebjär hilltop, where a Bronze Age grave stands guard over the surroundings. The marshland next to the Julebodaån river turns pink when thousands of cowslips bloom in the spring, and the exotic summer goldenrod lives in the dense crowns of the deciduous trees, shy as can be.

Ancient pastures

Even our ancestors appreciated the beauty of Äskebjär - there is a Bronze Age grave on the hilltop that watches over the surroundings. The sandy, light soil is easy to farm and has been used for pasture and temporary fields for many centuries.

The slopes of Äskebjär are home to the rare sandy steppe habitat. A prerequisite for the survival of sandy steppe plants is that new calcareous sand is brought to the surface and that the plant cover does not become too dense - something that the trampling of grazing animals and regular burning helps with.

Moonhorn beetles and wasps

Many unusual insects nest in the sandy, easily dug ground. The moonhorn beetle breeds its larvae in balls of cow dung that it has rolled into its underground nests. The wasp also nests in the sun-warmed sand, but its larvae feed on flies instead of cow dung.

Other highlights

The marsh next to the Julebodaån river turns pink when thousands of cowslips bloom in spring. The marsh's calcareous, moist environment is also home to unusual small shells, such as the calcareous snail.

The exotic summer wren lives in the dense crowns of deciduous trees. It can be difficult to spot, but on summer mornings in late May and early June, you may be lucky enough to hear the whistling song of the male. The endangered skylark nests in the reserve.

Outdoor life

There are unmarked paths in the gently undulating pasture landscape. Several fairly high fence crossings connect the various pastures with each other. By the river in the central parts of the area there is a nice picnic area with a fireplace. Thank you for taking your rubbish home. Up at the top of Äskebjär in the south, the view is magnificent. Parking is available along Lillehemsvägen in the north. Blåvingeleden runs through the reserve. It is a 9 km long circular trail that also goes through the nearby reserves Drakamöllan Link to another website., Kumlan Link to another website. and Maglehem Link to another website.. Keep in mind that dogs and grazing animals should be kept separate.

In English

Lillehem Nature Reserve

The rare sand steppe habitat is found on the slopes of Äskebjär, in the southern part of the reserve. Sand steppe plants require particular conditions to survive. These conditions are that new chalk-rich sand is forced up to the surface and that the vegetation does not become too dense - both of which the hooves of the grazing animals and regular burning help with.

Plants such Anthericum liliago and Koeleria glauca thrive in the chalky sandy soils and many rare insects can easily dig their nests where the warm, sand lies bare.

The rich fen adjacent to the River Julebodaån shimmers pink when thousands of bird's eye primroses flower in the spring. Rare small snails such as geyer's whorl snail live in the chalk-rich, damp environment of the fen.

The exotic golden oriole bird is found in the dense crowns of the broadleaved trees. It can be difficult to spot, but on beautiful summer mornings at the turn of the month between May and June, you can hear the males' fluting whistle.

Our forefathers also appreciated the beauty of Äskebjär - on the crest of the hill there is a Bronze Age grave which watches over the surroundings. The light, sandy soil was easily cultivated and has been used for pastures and temporary fields for many hundreds of years.

Regulations for Lillehem visitors

Within Lillehem Nature Reserve it is forbidden to:

• remove, dig, bore, paint or in any other way damage the ground, stones or natural objects,
• camp or park caravans, campers or similar overnight
• light fires other than in designated places,
• during the period April 1 to November 30 ride or lead horses
• cycle other than on roads
• deliberately disturb grazing animals
• bring dogs or other pets unless on a physical leash
• pick, dig up or in any other way damage plants, mosses, lichens and wood-living fungi
• park outside designated parking areas
• introduce or release species alien to the reserve

Furthermore, without written permission from the County Administrative Board, it is forbidden to:

• hold or organize competitions or similar events,
• catch insects, spiders, gastropods or other invertebrate animals other than by netting, hand picking or other selective method which does not destroy their habitat, with subsequent reintroduction within the nature reserve. The requirement for reintroduction does not apply to individual voucher specimens of species which are difficult to identify, on condition that the record is logged in the reporting system Artportalen, or an equivalent national database for threatened species, and that the collection is not contrary to the species protection regulations,