Hornborga Nature Information Centre
Region
Europe
Country
Sweden
Flyway
East Atlantic flyway
Initiative
Migratory Birds for People
About
Hornborga Naturum is managed by the County Administration of Vastra Gotaland.
The Centre is open daily from mid March to late August, and during weekends in September. It is closed in winter. It is essentially financed by public taxes.
Still by the Lake, but 10 km away, there is a second Information Centre called Crane Dance Info Centre – and, we guess, the name says it all. This is where a maximum of 12,700 cranes gather to eat, rest and dance for a few weeks in March and April. The Centre id open from mid March to mid April. It’s also open during weekends in January and early February when a dozen eagles (mainly White-tailed, but also Golden) gather in the area.
Founded/opened
Hornborga Nature Info Centre opened in 1986. Crane Dance Info Centre opened in 1994.
Description
Hornborga Lake Info Centre stands on piles in the water. Within the Centre, you will find staff, a slideshow, exhibition (about wetlands), tower and a small cafeteria. In the Crane Dance Info Centre you will find staff, a video and an exhibition about cranes.
Staffing
Ten people work at Lake Hornborga office.
We have a Managing Director, Information Officer, Guide, two Information Assistants (working seasonally in the Info Centres) and five skilled nature conservation workers.
Our staff also work with several other nature reserves (including the wetlands Dettern and Lake Osten) in the county.
Work Areas
Key species/features
The Eurasian Crane is the bird that spreads the word about Lake Hornborga. We also have breeding Black Terns, as well as large numbers of Coots (maximum 21,000 in autumn) and Pochards (maximum 5,300 in autumn).
General
Most effort is spent on www.hornborga.com with about 110,000 visitors per year. The Crane Dance Info Centre had little over 100,000 visitors last year. Hornborga Lake Info Centre had about 38,000 visitors.
Formal (school and university) learning
We have special school programmes in May and June. Over three hours, we ring birds, do shore work and teach about wetlands in general, and Lake Hornborga specifically.
Informal (general public) learning
We reach the public in many ways. Guided tours (daytime, and also in evenings during March – May) are part of the programme. We focus on the wetland, including the role of the wetland in local history. In spring (March-May), local and regional ornithological societies spread the word about the birds in the lake by answering questions at the Info Centres free of charge.
We reach the lakeside locals with newsletters, meetings and a fair in September.
Contact
Peder Hedberg Falt
Managing Director
T: 46 31 60 52 40
Anders Bergström
Information Officer
T: 46 31 52 20