Something’s growing there: Kampen’s plants

Kampen’s plants have a story to tell. Look close and listen. What does the gorse want? What is the light of the arnica telling islanders and how do you make elder juice?

Nearly 700 different plants grow in Kampen, in Sylt. Braving the winds, they enjoy the mild mean annual temperature. And they thrive even in bleak periods mainly thanks to extensive nature conservation areas.
Finally: the shining-yellow of blooming arnica. The first flecked wild orchid which seems to shy away. The unanimous meaningful nodding of thousands of small, pink sea thrift heads in the wind. The prickling of curious beach grass on bare calves. The smell of wet heath in the morning on the way down to the Sturmhaube. The bright yellow and luminous gorse for miles around at the bird decoy in Pück Deel in the middle of winter. There are many, many moments in the course of a year affected by Kampen’s plants in special ways. Why? Perhaps because of the many rare plants that grow here and which can only be continuously protected late, almost too late. Perhaps because of the special mentality of the islanders, who after the storm-shaken meagre days of dark winter days are simply more sensitive to peaceful beauty. Perhaps also because people live more intensely here with nature, in nature. And so one learns from childhood to look at things closely and to observe even little things. Sylt has eleven giant nature conservation areas. The oldest of them in and around Kampen (since 1923). Experts have counted nearly 700 different plants in Sylt. And virtually all mean something to every Sylter. When the dune violets bloom, that means it has become warmer at last. When broad heath areas glow mauve the season is already completely beautiful far and wide. When gorse sparkles on a frosty winter morning, it heralds a time when everything will be better. When granny picks elderflowers we look forward to elder juice and even children can take a sip. When a lot of sea grass lands on the mudflats, we remember that formerly people dried them and used them as bolster material for cushions and beds. When farmers go haymaking the whole village smells of summer. Small red apples from trees that the sea wind bend and have cudgelled into bonsai format, which we hang on the Jöölboom Sylt [Christmas tree], the Friesian Adventskranz [garland of fir sprigs with candles for the Sundays in Advent], of wood, decorated with salt dough figures, candles, box and those little apples.
You can find out more about Sylt plants, flora and fauna in the Braderup Nature Centre of the
Sylt Nature Conservation Community,
M.-T.-Buchholz-Stig 3
Tel. 0 46 51 / 4 44 21
www.naturschutz-sylt.de