Audio story: Magnus and the trail search part 3

Station 3 "Meadow" zum Nachlesen: They returned to the road. There, a sign on the left side indicated a path up to Gundhütte. The three friends turned off. From now on, it went steeply uphill. Magnus and Muck raced each other up to a small wooden barn, but Balti panted heavily. Going uphill wasn't his thing; he preferred to roam around on flat ground. But then the saying "Indians feel no pain" shot into his head, and he picked up the pace. Magnus knelt at the roadside and had discovered an interesting plant again. It had speckled leaves and many small, pink flowers that together formed a large, elongated blossom. "So, what is it?" Balti asked, completely out of breath. Magnus flipped through his little book. "Could be an orchid. Here it says it's a protected species called a 'Knabenkraut'. So, you can't pick it because it's rare." Muck pointed to a blue flower. "Look here! I know this one. It's a Devil's Claw! Uahhh!" and Muck laughed loudly. "No, seriously. That's really what it's called. My grandma has a salve she puts on her back when she's in pain. It says that on it and she thinks it's a great medicinal herb." "That would be a cool Indian name for you, Muck Devil's Claw," Balti suggested, winking at Muck. "And you're the Red Huff Bear," Muck retorted, and all three laughed heartily.

The meadow was now full of flowers and herbs, especially in early summer, and Magnus loved this time of year dearly. Sometimes he would simply sit at the edge of a meadow and count up to 50 different species in a small area. To some, this might seem boring, but why not try it out yourself? You'll be amazed at what you discover because many insects like colorful butterflies and beetles live here, and you might even spot a lizard!You're probably familiar with flower meadows, steppes, or soccer fields. But in the Vilstal valley, there are many "lean" meadows. These are areas with nutrient-poor soil that isn't fertilized and usually only mowed once or twice a year. Despite the low nutrient content, these meadows host a variety of species, many of which are on the Red List. This list includes plants that are rare or even endangered.

However, back to our three friends. After Balti no longer panted like a walrus and his cheek color changed from red to orange, they headed up towards the forest. By now, the sun was obscured by large, gray clouds. However, the friends didn't notice. They were too excited about the forest, as it was a special place. Not that it was haunted, definitely not! But it was adventurous and wild. Plus, they were determined to fulfill their Indian mission and gather many branches and twigs to build the dam.(Text: Ingrid Rösner)