Lilla Köpinge, Naturreservat

Lilla Köpinge is an urban reserve with open flower-rich grassland and pine forests of different ages and densities. Many of Lilla Köpinge's magnificent flowers are linked to sandy soil, preferably to areas with exposed sand. The sandy soil plants' need for trampling to create sandy patches and the easily accessible location make the reserve well suited to outdoor recreation.

Flower-rich grasslands for bees and butterflies

Lilla Köpinge's sandy grasslands contain many flowers that only thrive where there is sand. These flowers contribute to the colorfulness of the grasslands. Yellow buttercup, gray saxifrage and yellow marigold contribute to the yellow. Here and there, blue alder and blue monkshood stand out. Patches of heather, clove and thyme shimmer in pinkish-purple. Among the really exclusive species is alvar veronica (if it still exists?), which is basically only found on Öland. Another rarity is the stately, pink clove, which is also found in Sandhammaren nature reserve Link to another website.

Many bees and butterflies also thrive in the sandy environments. Particularly impressive are all the wild bees, with names such as the cuckoo bee, the steppe banded bee, the slope moth bee, the red-top bee, the spotted blood bee, the louse bee, the heath bee and the alvar moth bee. Among the butterflies you can see various bastard swarmers in black and red, turquoise-green meadow metalwing and heath pearl moth butterfly and meadow net butterfly in orange.

Pine forest with birds and bugs

In large parts of the reserve, the pine forest spreads out. It is patchy and sparse in the south where it connects to the open land and denser in other parts. The idea is that all the pine forest will eventually be sparse with sunlight. The pine forest contains some hole-nesting birds and wood-living insects. In particular, the sun-exposed older pines and coarse dead wood provide food and nesting sites for woodpeckers and small beetles. Other examples of birds in the nature reserve's forest and open land are robin, blackcap and the more unusual species of skylark, skylark and kingfisher.

Traces of settlement from the Iron Age - Stone Age

Near the villa settlement to the east is an ancient remains area. Here are the remains of a settlement from the Stone-Bronze-Iron Age. No less than 10 longhouses have been found. There was previously a burial ground from the same period on a flat hill near the railway. The railroad along the northern side of the reserve is in use.

Outdoor life

The reserve borders the community of Köpingebro. It is a popular green area used for dog walking, exercise, study and school activities. The area is criss-crossed by roads and paths, but there are no trail markings as the area is quite small and easy to find. The total distance of roads and trails is approximately 3.8 km. Remember to take your trash home. In the southwestern part, adaptations for horseback riding are planned.