Ravnarp, Naturreservat

Ravnarp is a botanical gem located northwest of Osby. Perhaps Göinge's answer to Linnaeus' Råshult? Here, stone walls frame the flower-rich pastures. Beyond the open land rises the old beech forest. There are no outdoor facilities, but you can roam freely in the pastures and forest. There is no parking.

Stone-walled pastures and wolf pits?

Ravnarp is located west of Helgeån in a culturally characterized village with pastures surrounded by forest. The pastures were once used as fields and meadows. This is evidenced by all the stone walls and cairns. There are also stepped ledges in the old fields. These are traces of so-called terrace cultivation. A little more question marks surround a pit on the edge of the deciduous forest. Perhaps it is an old wolf pit. A pit that was used to catch wolves in the 1800s. In the reserve there are also remains of an old smithy and an older croft. In more modern times, there was a dance floor near the supposed wolf pit.

Meadow with haymaking and cowslip

The hay meadow is home to a valuable flora. Here you can find, among other things, the yellow-flowering and rare haymaker. Other examples of the meadow's flowers are meadow rattle, hay rattle, bluebell, bluebell, daisy, meadowsweet, cowslip, buttercup, cuckoo flower, green-white night violet and maidenhair fern. In the meadow there are pollarded (top-hewn) linden trees, free-standing large oaks and bouquet-like hazel bushes.

Birds that you can see flying in the area are starlings, barn swallows, black-and-white flycatchers and the shimmering green woodpecker. Among the insects, there are colorful species such as the black-red lesser crested flycatcher and the turquoise-green meadow metalwing.

Beech forest with woodpecker and blackcap

The area's broadleaf forests consist mainly of beech of various ages, but in places there are also oak and other deciduous trees. More dead wood is created through nature conservation measures. This favors unusual wood-living beetles, tree-living mosses and lichens, and wood fungi. In the forest you can see the great black woodpecker. Another of the forest's birds is the gray warbler blackcap, which can be recognized by its black head, or perhaps mice-like cap?

Outdoor life

Ravnarp is located 3 km from Visseltofta and about 1.5 miles northwest of Osby. Here you can experience the cultural environment and the rich meadow flora in silence. A road leads to the area from Visseltofta, but there is no parking or outdoor facilities. It is possible to roam freely in the pasture and forest, but avoid dogs among grazing animals. Remember to take your rubbish home.

Funded by the European Union