Ådlandsvatnet

Plants that grow in and beside water have to be prepared for marked and rapid changes in their living conditions. They must be able to tolerate living under water without drowning, and getting totally dried out without whithering. Many swamp plants are well adapted to these kinds of changes.

Hopsfjellet

On June 2nd, 1992, a big forest fire broke out in Sveio. The fire started southeast of Hopsfjellet. In a strong wind the flames spread quickly northward. Houses on the other side of the highway were threatened, but escaped unscathed. The burned area, which is easily visible about a 5 minute's drive south from the tunnel at the triple- junction, was made into a nature reserve in 1998. The intention was to ensure that the re-establishment of plant- and animal life would take place without disturbance.

Vernøya

If you smell a foul smell out in nature, you mustn't immediately think that the reason is cloaca from houses or cabins. The reason can be an entirely natural process that occurs when plants are broken down under special conditions. When there is little oxygen available, hydrogen sulphide can be produced. This is a gas that seeps up from the earth and smells like rotten eggs.

Ånuglo

Take a tour to Ånuglo on a warm summer's day. You can anchor up in Skipavågen and go exploring along the beach. Or, you can find giant holly trees and ivy inland on the island. If you take a trip to the small farms on the west side - one of which is still in operation - you can experience colourful flower meadows from a time most dream of, but few can still remember.

Fadnesskaret

Ulvund

One of the oldest farms in Myrkdalen, Ulvund, is recognized as one of 14 areas in Hordaland having an especially valuable cultural landscape. The dirt road runs along a steep slope down toward Lake Myrkdalsvatnet. The flattest field, which today is harvested for silage, used to be an old grain field, while the slopes were old hayfields.

Husedalen

Lote

Veivatnet

From Kinsekvelven river and inward to Lake Veivatnet, we can wander through one of Hardangervidda's many fertile areas. A number of finicky plants grow here, and there are plenty of birds and fish. We can thank a lime rich soil for the diversity.

From Dense Forest to Open Heathlands

The outer frame - the coast, the fjord and the mountains - are an inheritance from the country's geological history. But what, more than anything else, gives the scene colour and excitement is the plant life.