Ire, Naturreservat

Here you can experience one of Blekinge's best preserved agricultural landscapes. Ire is a living museum far from large-scale and rationalized agriculture and an important link to our history. At the end of summer each year, the reeds are sharpened to become effective cultural and nature conservation tools.

Meadows used to be an important type of land. It was where the winter fodder for farm animals grew and the size of the meadow determined how many animals a farm could feed in winter. The number of animals in turn determined the amount of manure available, which determined the size of the fields. This chain is the origin of the old saying "Meadow is the mother of fields". And the tradition lives on, with meadows mowed and fields still in use in Ire.

Small-scale agricultural landscape

The nature reserve is an excellent example of an old-fashioned, traditional small-scale farming landscape. You'll find yourself in areas that look much the same as they have for hundreds of years.

Ire village probably dates from the early Middle Ages. The oldest known record of the village dates from 1658, when there was only one farm in the village. Since then, the history of the village is well documented. Farms have been divided and merged.

Restored farms

Today there are two original farms left. Håkansgården and Josefsgården. Both have been renovated to an earlier condition. The two farm environments are an important part of the reserve. Josefsgården is named after the last owner who died in 1984. Throughout his life he farmed the land in the same way as his ancestors did.

Ire's impressive cairns and stone walls and the gnarled trees that have been pollarded for generations, the branches cut to provide leafy fodder, are contemporary documents of the hardships of past farmers and are part of our cultural heritage.

Floral splendor

During the summer, the fields of Ire are in full bloom. Priest's collar, bluebell, Virgin Mary's keys, haymaking, maidenhair and meadowsweet, along with many other plants, contribute to the splendor of color. The meadows are not mown until the herbs are over flowering to benefit insect life. One example is the endangered meadow sand bee, which feeds on pollen from meadowsweet.