Väddö prästgård

In the Väddö Prästgård nature reserve you are
free to wander and explore nature on your own. There are no marked trails or other
facilities for visitors. The area is rich in dead wood and partly it is very wet.
Interesting species thrive here, such as the small green shield moss. Keep an
eye on decaying logs and you may spot their small, protruding capsules.

In the
eastern part of the nature reserve, the coniferous forest gives way to deciduous trees such as birch and goat willow —a
reminder that the this area used to be fields and
meadows. And the forest was grazed by the nearby vicarage's animals.

In parts of the nature reserve, the soil is rich in lime. This allows wood anemones and orchids such as broad-leaved helleborine and bird’s-nest orchid to thrive. The bird’s-nest orchid lacks chlorophyll entirely (hence its pale colour) and obtains all its nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi in the soil, which in turn are connected to the roots of surrounding trees. Remarkable, isn’t it?!

Please note
that there are many dead spruce trees in the reserve. Stay alert and be
cautious, especially in windy conditions.