Important Coastal Meadows for Bird Life in Nature Reserves 

By restoring coastal meadows in nature reserves, better conditions are created for migratory and nesting birds. Jonas Larsson of Västkuststiftelsen has been working on these kinds of projects for over 20 years. You’ll find him on a Truxor T50 in the southern parts of Lake Vänern and the river Göta Älv.

Nature conservation and sustainable land use, aim to restore vital areas for biodiversity. In this case, it's about creating environments where birds thrive, can find food, and can nest.

“When I come down in the morning to start work, the area is full of swans, ducks, and wading birds,” says Jonas Larsson of Västkuststiftelsen, a foundation working with nature conservation and outdoor life in Western Sweden.

He is working on a multi-year project to create and restore coastal meadows in nature reserves and other significant areas for bird life. The purpose is to benefit migratory birds that follow the Vänern coast as they fly south for the winter and follow the same routes when they return in the spring.

“I've been working on removing a lot of reed to create coastal meadows and what we call a 'blue border.' An open and shallow water area between land and the reed,” Jonas Larsson explains.

Blue borders are essential areas for biodiversity. Besides being a favored habitat for birds, they are places where many animals thrive. The water warms up quickly in the spring, allowing fish fry to grow there. It is also popular among insects and amphibians, as well as reptiles.

“The area I'm working on now is 800 meters long and 80 meters wide. There, we mow the grass short, which the birds like. When grazing animals disappeared from these areas, the type of grass they prefer also decreased.”

Jonas Larsson works on this type of nature conservation with a Truxor T50 as his primary tool in several nature reserves in the southern parts of Lake Vänern and the Göta Älv. Truxor has been an important companion for many years in Jonas Larsson's work for Västkuststiftelsen and Länsstyrelsen (the County Administrative Board).

“We've had a very good collaboration, and I've been involved in product development to optimize the blades. I'm on the sixth machine now, and I'm very satisfied. The T50 machine has the right power for me, and I never have to worry about the terrain – whether it's mud, water, or marshland.”