Posts Tagged Nature
Canoe and kayak hire in Østfold
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on May 20, 2010
With hundreds of lakes and miles of coastline, Østfold is a great place to try kayaking, or canoeing. Whether it’s for a couple of hours after work, or a long weekend outing with friends and/or family, a fun time is guaranteed.
- You can hire canoes and kayaks at Børtevann, east of Sarpsborg, an idyllic, sheltered location ideal for beginners. Canoes are 250Kr for a day (50Kr an hour), kayaks 350Kr for the day (75Kr an hour). Grinerødveien 2, Ise. Tel: 69 16 01 73 or 90 83 33 11, www.kanoutleie.net
- Moss Kajakklubb has canoes and kayaks for hire in Nesparken. You must book in advance as the premises are not manned. They also organise guided tours. From 300Kr a day. Tel: 99 56 12 10, www.moss-kajakklubb.no
- Rømskog Kanoutleie: Rømsjøen is the largest lake in Rømskog, and arguably the prettiest in Østfold. Hire a canoe for the weekend, and explore the area! Canoes are 250Kr for a day (50Kr an hour). Here too you must book in advance. Tel: 95 91 61 75, www.kanoutleie.no
- Aursmark Natur in Kroksund have canoes for hire. From here you are ideally located to paddle on the Halden Canal. They also organise tours. Canoes are 180Kr for the day, 220Kr for 24 hours. They will come and get you if you don’t have your own transport. Kroksund, Ørje. Tel: 69 81 31 47, www.aursmark-natur.com/kano
- Olseng Marina on Ullerøy, Skjeberg, have sea kayaks. Rental is 400Kr a day (150Kr per hour). Ullerøyveien 628. Tel: 69 16 95 95, www.olsengmarina.no
Østfold in Pictures: Tunevannet
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on May 1, 2010
Tunevannet, Sarpsborg
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on May 1, 2010
A great place for swimming, jogging, cycling, or even indeed just a walk, this lake just outside Sarpsborg is a popular recreational area, particularly in summer, when it buzzes with activity. There are several sandy beaches and creeks here and the main one by Prestegårdstangen, which boasts floating pontoons and a diving board, is accessible for wheelchairs. Personally, though, I prefer looking for a green patch on which to lay my towel – nothing beats lying on the grass by the water, looking at the clear blue sky through the branches of the tall nearby pines if you ask me. There is a playground with several climbing apparatus a bit further in under the trees, as well as BBQs, toilets, and a kiosk (open in season only) near the big car park to the southeast of the lake. If you want to take a rod and try your luck at fishing (or ice fish in winter) – you might get a pike, or perch. Tune Church nearby, rebuilt after a fire in 1908, is worth a visit, and there is a youth hostel nearby if you like the area so much you decide to stay.
How to get there: Off Rv 118 (Tuneveien) opposite Tune Church, itself just off the E6 north of Sarpsborg.
A telltale sign that spring’s arrived…
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on April 26, 2010
Wood anemone (Anemone nemerosa)
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on April 26, 2010
This flower, which announces the arrival of spring, can be seen as early as April in Norway. It is normally found in shady deciduous woodlands, sometimes in grassy roadsides too.
Each stem has a white star-shaped flower, often flushed with pink or purple. As in all anemones, the flower has no real petals, but instead sports modified sepals (usually 6 or 7) which assume the colouring and characteristics of petals.
The flower can be up to 2.5cm (1 inch) in diameter, although younger specimen are smaller, and the whole plant can grow up to 25cm (8 inches) tall, although 10-12cm (3-4 inches) is more common (at least in Norway).
Most of the year this plant is hidden from view. But a fast-growing underground root system allows it to grow, and carry out its annual life-cycle in the few weeks of spring, before the shade from the trees above becomes too dense.
It does not require fertilization by insects and has no scent. What it lacks in perfume, however, it makes up for in prettiness – a carpet of wood anemones in the spring is a sight to behold (see pic above).
The plant contains poisonous chemicals that are toxic to animals (including humans). Although herbalists no longer use the plant medicinally, various parts of the wood anemone used to be recommended for a variety of complaints, including headaches, gout and rheumatism.
The wood anemone is a member of the buttercup family. It is also known under the name of windflower and smell fox, and is called hvitveis in Norwegian.
The Storedal Culture Centre
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on April 25, 2010
The Storedal Culture Centre in Skjeberg, Sarpsborg, is quite unique. Although open to all, it was designed to provide a stimulating experience for visually impaired visitors by engaging all the senses, not just sight. The centerpiece, the 19.5m high metal sound sculpture ‘Ode to Light’, which was designed by artist Arnold Haukeland and represents arms reaching out towards the sky, comes to life through 28 loudspeakers connected to light receptacles. The more light, the more complex the music, and vice versa – in other words, avoid visiting on a really dark winter day, as the sculpture will be almost completely quiet. The complex also has an outdoors amphitheatre and a herb garden featuring over 250 different plant species, which you can touch and smell, as well as replicas of the rock carvings along nearby Oldtidsveien, with descriptions and explanations in Braille.
Storedalveien 215 (off Rv110 between Skjeberg and Fredrikstad). Tel: 69 16 92 67, www.storedal.no (Norwegian only)
The King of the Forest
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on April 15, 2010
A few facts about the moose
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on April 15, 2010
The moose (alces alces) is the largest species in the deer family, and is known as ‘the King of the Forest’.
In 2007 there were 120,000 moose in Norway.
All moose are herbivores and eat many types of plant or fruit. The average adult moose needs to consume 9,800 calories per day to maintain its body weight.
An adult moose stands 1.8–2.1m (6–7ft) high at the shoulder. Males weigh 380–720kg, females 270–360kg.
The moose has long, thick brown fur. The hair is hollow, which helps keep the moose warm. The moose also has long legs. Its front legs are longer than its rear ones – this helps it jump over fallen trees and other obstacles in the forest.
Only males (called bulls) have antlers. These can reach up to 1.8m (6ft) across, although 1.2-1.5m (4-5ft) is more common.
The mature bull drops its antlers after the mating season each year to conserve energy for the winter. A new set of antlers regrows in the spring. Antlers take three to five months to fully develop. They initially have a layer of skin, called ‘velvet’, which is shed once the antlers become fully grown. The velvet has blood vessels in it that deliver nutrients that help the antlers grow.
The moose is active in the day, especially at dawn and dusk. It has very poor eyesight but good hearing and an excellent sense of smell. It is a very good swimmer and can swim as fast as 10km (6 miles) an hour. On land they can run up to 56km (35 miles) an hour over short distances, and trot steadily at 32km (20 miles) an hour.
Moose are not usually aggressive towards humans, but can be provoked or frightened to behave with aggression, especially when they have youngs around. And although moose actually attack more people than bears and wolves combined, it’s usually with only minor consequences.
Moose collisions with vehicles and trains, on the other hand, cause more damage to property and injuries to people, sometimes even death. The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten estimated in January 2008 that some 13,000 moose had died in collisions with Norwegian trains since 2000. That’s a lot of dead moose every year – please remember that when driving on remote country roads at dusk (the time of day when you’re most likely to hit one).