New dry-stone wall created in nature reserve

The canton of Zug has completed a new dry stone wall in the Bossenweid nature reserve (field name Erletschwand) in Walchwil.

Building dry stone walls is a centuries-old craft that requires no mortar at all, according to the cantonal building department.

The new dry stone wall is 120 metres long, and was built by hand using quartz sandstone and Nagelfluh and is located on a slope, according to the report. The new dry stone wall will stabilises the ridge above an existing farm track, and will enable the use of the species-rich meadow above.

The new dry stone wall in Walchwil                                           Photo: zvg
Nature is already taking advantage of the new habitat            Screenshot: Tele1

It will also help to ensure that humus and nutrients are not washed away during rainfall, thereby maintaining the productivity of the soil.

Dry-stone walls are also good for the local flora and fauna, who can find nesting holes between the stones, and the stones become warm in the sun, offering a comfortable habitat for flowers, wild animals and birds.

For farmer Markus Hürlimann, who cultivates the land above and below the dry stone wall, the wall in the Erletschwand makes it easier to remove the cuttings from the steep terrain.

The project was financially supported by the Swiss Landscape Fund (FLS).

The video from Tele 1 (in Swiss German) can be seen on:
https://www.zugerzeitung.ch/zentralschweiz/zug/zug-ticker-naturschutzgebiet-in-walchwil-erhaelt-eine-ganz-spezielle-mauer-gebaut-mit-jahrhundertealter-technik-schueler-machen-flimmerpause-ld.2609656