Grössjön

Ancient forest and giant voles

South of Carlshem and Tomtebo in Umeå is the Grössjön Nature Reserve, with its mires and ancient forest. It is hard to get such a feeling of wilderness and undisturbed nature any closer to town than this.

You will have a good view from the bird-watching tower, and during the breeding season you might see Slavonian grebes and whooper swans. The forest in the reserve is ancient. Typical forest bird species such as the black woodpecker, the three-toed woodpecker, the pygmy owl and the hazel grouse are all found in the reserve.

Hooked scorpion-moss och northern spikemoss

Thousands of years ago, the beach was located at Grössjön. Calcium from sea shells in this ancient sea is probably still present in the form of shell gravel below the mire and in the swamp forest to the south and southeast of the lake. The calcium creates good conditions for rich flora. Common alder, which is rare in our region, grows in the swamp woods. Stora Blomstermyran is one of the coastal area’s few mineral-rich fens. Unusual species such as northern spikemoss, yellow sedge, angled paludella moss and hooked scorpion-moss all thrive here.