Tuesday 13/12: Fågelskärsuddens and Bålgrundsfjärdens old-growth forest in Östhammar municipality...
...are two properties that Naturarvet acquired in 2022, as a contiguous extension of the property we acquired in 2020. Svartsundets old-growth forest One new addition of 11.5 ha extends the property across the headland outside Söderbodafjärden, from Svartsundet to Blågrundsfjärden, as we call this part. The second new addition of 44 ha extends from Svartsundets one corner out to the tip of the headland, which now consists of Fågelskärsören and was an island a hundred years ago.
Land uplift is clearly taking place on Gräsö. The oldest pine cliffs on the headland were only small islands 2000 years ago, and windswept, late-growing old pines on thousand-year-old cliffs can be quite old even though they are not gigantic. On newly formed land, which a hundred years ago was the seabed, there are swamp forests - the 'mangroves of the north'. These are virgin carbon-eating forests that are 'primeval forest babies'.
In eastern Svealand, as shown on the attached map, carbon sequestration is the highest in Sweden, making the three acquired areas on Gräsö not only a biodiversity hotspot but also a super-efficient carbon sink hotspot.
As can be seen from the map of natural values at the top, where hotspots for high natural values are red and coldspots are blue, Svartsundet-Fågelskärsudden-Blågrundsfjärden is all love-red with biodiversity. Several inventories over the past 20 years have revealed about 100 conservation species, half of which are red-listed. Before Naturarvet acquired Svartsundet and now Fågelskärsudden and Blågrundsfjärden, 13.2 ha were protected as biotope protection in the area. However, in order to provide living space for the primeval forest babies to become primeval forest and for the seeds of the old pines to become the old pines of the future, the entire area must be protected.
Natural Heritage's three acquisitions now protect 87 ha and the ambition is to be able to tie together protection for the entire headland. This means an additional 100 ha that needs the permanent protection of the Natural Heritage. We want to realize this within two years. We need to raise about SEK 12 million for this project alone. You can contribute by earmarking donations to Fågelskärsuddens old-growth forest. Follow the links below to read more about the forest, see a fundraising map and earmark your gift to the primeval forest of the future. Thank you for all the gifts that made it possible to protect what we already have skyddat❣️
Read more about Fågelskärsuddens old-growth forest
See how you can contribute to the collection and view a collection map
Earmark your gift as forest squares