But this no-man's-land of old was also home to an astonishing variety of wildlife that flourished where the barrier separating communist east from capitalist west stood.If plans stay on course and the political will is backed with financial resources, the Iron Curtain trail could become one of the longest nature reserves on earth. The former border is part of a European green belt 4,200 miles long. If the European Union gets its way, the entire interlinking nature reserves will stretch for 4,250 miles, starting at the Arctic Sea, running along Finland's border with Russia, through the Baltic states and Poland to Germany, then skirt Austria's border with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary before following the Danube to the Black Sea.
Heron colonies, otters, the black stork and the lady's slipper orchid can be found. Rare moss grows on the concrete stumps that once housed automatic guns, bats nest in the remains of bunkers and watchtowers and rare egrets, warblers and other species delight nature lovers from around the world. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/wildlife-set-for-final-victory-along-the-iron-curtain-832856.html _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
