NATUR PARK SÜDGELÄNDE | nurture-nature

Filmed: May 3, 2018
Location: Natur Park Südgelände

 

ABOUT THE VIDEO

I had passed by this park many times on my bike without realizing it. The entrance to Natur Park Südgelände is tucked away on the east side of the S-Bahn station Priesterweg. And it turns out it costs 1 euro to enter, something that would have typically deterred me from entering when there are so many free parks to explore.

However, my friend Cordt brought me here. It is one of his favorite parks, in part because of the its history.

Walking into the park in spring was like walking into a wild, magical world. Not only was spring a great time because of the way the light filtered down through the trees, but the place itself, with grass and trees growing over old train tracks and various remnants of the railway appearing along the walkway makes the place feel otherworldly. And the trees, they grow in groves and thickets randomly, unlike many of the forests around Berlin that seem planted as the trees grow in straight lines in large areas of land in places like Grunewald.

This history led to the wildness of this place, including the Berlin Wall and the collective action of local residents.

In the video, Nicolas Bogislav von Lettow-Vorbeck, author of Stadtwild von Amsel bis Zauneidechse (City Wildlife, from Black Birds to Sand Lizards), talks about this history and reflects on what it means for a place or an animal or insect to be wild in a city today.

You can find the book here:  Stadtwild von Amsel bis Zauneidechse

NATUR PARK SÜDGELÄNDE | nurture-nature