Nature Reserve

Perched on an ancient Rhine gravel bank, the Offendorf Forest Nature Reserve covers 60 hectares of alluvial forest.

Although the site is no longer subject to Rhine floods, its depressions can be flooded by groundwater rises. Surrounded by old river arms, this environment hosts a mosaic of landscapes mixing wetlands and drier alluvial levees.

The most flooded areas host stands of white willows and black poplars, called "soft woods." Conversely, the higher alluvial levees are colonized by "hard woods" such as oaks, ashes, and various shrubs. Open, sunlit spaces support plants typical of wet environments: British inula, tall violets, marsh euphorbias, and marsh ragwort.

Offendorf Forest is also a haven for wildlife. Its edges, clearings, and undergrowth are home to many butterfly species, including the Holly Blue, the Large Tortoiseshell, the Map Butterfly, the Swallowtail, the Orange Tip, and the Brimstone. Among amphibians, you can find agile frogs, green or brown, as well as crested, alpine, and spotted newts.