Colorful plant and animal diversity
The Wild Carrot
The wild carrot is the original form of our garden carrot - and is well represented in the meadows of the nature recreation park. From June to September it shows its pretty white umbellate flowers, which fold up like a bird's nest when it rains or at night. There is usually a striking, dark-colored “moor flower” in the middle. The trick: The black dot is intended to trick pollinators into thinking that there is already activity here - which in turn attracts new insects. The wild carrot is not only refined, but also ecologically valuable. Their leaves serve as food for butterfly caterpillars - such as the swallowtail, which prefers to lay its eggs on this plant.
The Admiral
The admiral is a real eye-catcher among butterflies: black wings with bright red bands, white spots on the tips and an elaborately patterned underside that camouflages it perfectly. From May to October it flies through our gardens, meadows and forest edges - and with a bit of luck it even stays until December. It used to migrate south to overwinter, but today it often survives mild winters here too. Its caterpillars prefer to eat stinging nettles; the butterflies themselves love overripe fruit and flower nectar. Thanks to climate change, the admiral is increasingly becoming a harbinger of spring for us.
The honey bee
In the display bee box at the edge of the flower meadow you can observe the life of honey bees up close. What looks like a hustle and bustle is actually a perfectly organized system. Every bee in the hive has its job: Most are sterile females who take care of brood care, building honeycombs or collecting nectar. Male bees - the drones - only live to mate with the queen during her nuptial flight. The queen is significantly larger and can be easily recognized by the colored dot on her abdomen. Their main job: laying eggs. Even if many people immediately think of honey when they hear “bee”, there are around 700 species of wild bees living in Austria, most of which travel alone. There’s more about this in our own wild bee chapter!
The field bumblebee
Bumblebees are real messengers of spring! In contrast to honey bees, only the young queen survives the winter. In the spring she sets off alone in search of a nesting place - and founds a new colony there. There are around 45 species of bumblebees in Austria. The field bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) is particularly common. Its furry body buzzes diligently from flower to flower and plays an important role in pollination.
The big wool floater
At first glance, the Greater Woolly Floater looks like a small bumblebee, but it is a fly. With its long trunk it hovers in front of flowers like a tiny hummingbird and sucks nectar - nimble, silent and a great pollinator! Its offspring are less charming: The larvae develop as parasites in the nests of wild bees, digger wasps or certain butterflies, where they feed on their offspring.
The millipede
Even if the name suggests otherwise, millipedes usually “only” have around 200 pairs of legs. The shiny gray-black polypods belong to the huge group of arthropods, the most species-rich animal phylum of all. They prefer to live in damp and dark places, are nocturnal and are real soil helpers: as humus builders, they eat dead plant parts and convert them into fertile soil. In this way, like earthworms, they make an important contribution to soil health. They are not dangerous for us, but they are dangerous for the birds and reptiles that have them on their menu.
The hare
If you look closely in winter, you might see hare tracks in the snow: two parallel prints - these are the strong hind legs - and behind them two smaller ones from the front paws. This is how the brown hare hops through the park. With his good hearing, perfect camouflage and impressive sprinting power, he is a real survivor. In winter, its fur becomes lighter and adapts perfectly to its surroundings. But even though he is so adaptable, the brown hare has a hard time today. Intensive agriculture and fragmented habitats are affecting it. Its natural enemies include foxes, badgers, martens and birds of prey. It's even nicer when traces can still be found in the nature recreation park.
The Wild Carrot
The wild carrot is the original form of our garden carrot - and is well represented in the meadows of the nature recreation park. From June to September it shows its pretty white umbellate flowers, which fold up like a bird's nest when it rains or at night. There is usually a striking, dark-colored “moor flower” in the middle. The trick: The black dot is intended to trick pollinators into thinking that there is already activity here - which in turn attracts new insects. The wild carrot is not only refined, but also ecologically valuable. Their leaves serve as food for butterfly caterpillars - such as the swallowtail, which prefers to lay its eggs on this plant.
The Admiral
The admiral is a real eye-catcher among butterflies: black wings with bright red bands, white spots on the tips and an elaborately patterned underside that camouflages it perfectly. From May to October it flies through our gardens, meadows and forest edges - and with a bit of luck it even stays until December. It used to migrate south to overwinter, but today it often survives mild winters here too. Its caterpillars prefer to eat stinging nettles; the butterflies themselves love overripe fruit and flower nectar. Thanks to climate change, the admiral is increasingly becoming a harbinger of spring for us.
The honey bee
In the display bee box at the edge of the flower meadow you can observe the life of honey bees up close. What looks like a hustle and bustle is actually a perfectly organized system. Every bee in the hive has its job: Most are sterile females who take care of brood care, building honeycombs or collecting nectar. Male bees - the drones - only live to mate with the queen during her nuptial flight. The queen is significantly larger and can be easily recognized by the colored dot on her abdomen. Their main job: laying eggs. Even if many people immediately think of honey when they hear “bee”, there are around 700 species of wild bees living in Austria, most of which travel alone. There’s more about this in our own wild bee chapter!
The field bumblebee
Bumblebees are real messengers of spring! In contrast to honey bees, only the young queen survives the winter. In the spring she sets off alone in search of a nesting place - and founds a new colony there. There are around 45 species of bumblebees in Austria. The field bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) is particularly common. Its furry body buzzes diligently from flower to flower and plays an important role in pollination.
The big wool floater
At first glance, the Greater Woolly Floater looks like a small bumblebee, but it is a fly. With its long trunk it hovers in front of flowers like a tiny hummingbird and sucks nectar - nimble, silent and a great pollinator! Its offspring are less charming: The larvae develop as parasites in the nests of wild bees, digger wasps or certain butterflies, where they feed on their offspring.
The millipede
Even if the name suggests otherwise, millipedes usually “only” have around 200 pairs of legs. The shiny gray-black polypods belong to the huge group of arthropods, the most species-rich animal phylum of all. They prefer to live in damp and dark places, are nocturnal and are real soil helpers: as humus builders, they eat dead plant parts and convert them into fertile soil. In this way, like earthworms, they make an important contribution to soil health. They are not dangerous for us, but they are dangerous for the birds and reptiles that have them on their menu.
The hare
If you look closely in winter, you might see hare tracks in the snow: two parallel prints - these are the strong hind legs - and behind them two smaller ones from the front paws. This is how the brown hare hops through the park. With his good hearing, perfect camouflage and impressive sprinting power, he is a real survivor. In winter, its fur becomes lighter and adapts perfectly to its surroundings. But even though he is so adaptable, the brown hare has a hard time today. Intensive agriculture and fragmented habitats are affecting it. Its natural enemies include foxes, badgers, martens and birds of prey. It's even nicer when traces can still be found in the nature recreation park.
Let's continue!
👉 Head to the next station – the next nature experience is waiting for you there. Simply follow the path - once you get there you will find a sign with a QR code that will take you directly to the appropriate page.
