On the trail of sand dunes on the Báránypirosító educational trail

Itinerary

• From the starting point, head west following the white arrows marking the educational trail.
• For the first 600 meters, we proceed together with the P marking.
• After the forest exercise park, the path splits and then makes a loop. Our direction is counterclockwise on the trail.

Detailed description of the hike

We start our hike at the Naprózsa Forest School along main road 52, where we also find a built, shaded parking lot. There is no water supply here, so it is recommended to stock up on plenty of fluids, as the plain heats up very much in the sun.

On the educational trail, follow the white painted arrows; the route leads counterclockwise after a short straight initial section, where you can test yourself on a forest exercise park. Along the way, the information boards introduce the wildlife, culture, history, the circumstances of formation of the dune area, the role of humans in shaping the landscape, and the dangers posed by invasive plants. The farthest point is on a higher dune, from which there is a beautiful view over the dune area.

Sand woolly plant (Báránypirosító)

Mostly on the second part of the trail, we can encounter the characteristic plant of sandy grasslands, the often massively appearing sand woolly plant, from which the route also gets its name. Belonging to the borage family, the blue or purple flower clusters spreading at ground level have roots about 25 cm deep that accumulate dark red alkanin. This is an intense pigment that shepherds traditionally used for marking animals and was also used in cosmetics. The sand woolly plant primarily lives on calcareous sandy grasslands between the Danube and Tisza but also occurs on rocky grasslands countrywide.

Half-desert at Fülöpháza

The entire sand dune area is already a habitat covered with grass and sporadically juniper and occasionally poplars, except for two small patches of a few tens of square meters where the drifting sand is still exposed. These are close to each other within sight, and discovering them is a unique experience, but visiting the area requires a permit. On the surface of the fine sand, the wind's work can be observed as tiny waves are blown into the sand. We can also pay attention to countless funnel-shaped pits 2-3 cm in diameter and 1.5 cm deep in the sand. These are the pit traps of ant-lions: their larvae hide at the bottom of these structures. Smaller animals passing by fall into the pit (if not quick enough, the larva throws a few grains of sand at them), where the predatory ant-lion with its strong jaws waits.

The sandy grassland is not only rich in ant-lion species; the diversity of insects is generally very high, especially among straight-winged insects and bugs. Amphibians and reptiles preying on arthropods also live in large numbers in the grassland; the green, nimble, and sandy lizards show themselves during the day, while green toads, tree frogs, and spadefoot toads are more active at night. The dune area is home to valuable, protected birdlife: the landscape is dominated by the fine songs of colorful rollers, bee-eaters, and hoopoes.

The largest number of plants living in the sand are monocots; typical species are sand fescue and feather grass. The latter grows its hairs at the end of April and early May, which not only helps the seeds spread but also, after landing, as the wind turns them, the seeds even drill into the sand. Perhaps the hairy sandy grassland is the most beautiful, but it is worth visiting the area not only at this time!

Besides the grasses, many mosses and lichens struggle with drought and heat, among them more valuable plant species (sand crowfoot, sand woundwort, Sunrose, evening primrose, strawflower, blue mullein) add color to the flora. An exciting plant is field eryngo, also popularly called devil's wagon, donkey thorn, creeping thistle, and devil ball, among others, referring to its prickliness and lifestyle: in autumn the plant falls off from the root and, driven by the wind like a devil's wagon, rolls away and flies off in stronger air currents.

Woody plants are represented by juniper, single-seeded hawthorn, barberry, poplars, and acacias. Their establishment is helped by the cessation of intensive grazing, but it is hindered by soil water level decrease due to river regulations and low precipitation amounts.

The defunct Garmada educational trail

Previously, another educational trail, Garmada, started northward from the Forest School. It penetrated the dune area in a T shape, and on the easternmost branch of the T, it also reached Fülöpháza. The information boards on the trail are damaged, missing, and no replacement was provided, and the markings are mostly worn. Due to this, we can start northbound on the P marking, then turning west following the former trail route, continuing on a scenic poplar grove path. This well demonstrates what kind of forest the area could sustain if grazing and other human interventions such as river regulation, intensive logging, or climate change had not completely destroyed it by our predecessors and us. Although the Homokhát is one of the areas in Europe most endangered by desertification, with the cessation of grazing, there is a chance for the vegetation cover to return to this landscape, clearly indicated by the fact that the drifting sand has almost completely disappeared, and uncovered sandy surfaces are rare.