Meadow Wild – Die Wiese (2019)

Directed by: Jan Haft | 44 minutes | documentary

Meadows form biotopes that are not always appreciated. If you manage them in a nature-friendly way, they are colorful, varied and species-rich habitats that, thanks to the sea of ​​​​color, resemble a coral reef on land. The special thing is that this habitat mainly exists by the grace of humans. The meadow is mainly a cultural landscape with high natural values ​​that flourishes in areas where the countryside is still extensively managed.

‘Meadow Wild’ shows the viewer which animals and plants can be found on a European meadow where the land is not yet intensively worked by agro giants. The tall grass is the birthplace and hiding place of fawns and meadow birds such as curlews and lapwings. We see how the parents of the ground-brothers diligently carry out their rearing duties and constantly gather food for the greedy chicks. There are of course also robbers in the meadow. The fox scours the fringes of the area with its keen senses in search of a tasty mouse or bird snack, while the screaming eagle scours the pasture for food from above.

But ‘Meadow Wild’ certainly does not only have an eye for birds and mammals. Also the insect and plant life and some rare mushrooms are richly discussed. In the middle of summer, for example, the penetrating sound of various grasshopper and cicada species resounds on the flowery meadows. The males produce the sound with their wings and legs, trying to gain favor with the females. The film also shows which symbiotic relationships exist between plants and insects (butterflies, bees) in a healthy and natural meadow.

But ‘Meadow Wild’ is more than a series of beautiful pictures. The documentary also draws attention to the precarious situation in which many European pastures find themselves. Large-scale agriculture is the ax to the root of these unique communities in many places in Europe. Mowing with care should not be a problem. This kills individual animals and plants in the short term, but usually has no major consequences at the population level. But mowing cycles are becoming shorter and shorter, giving the land (too) little time to regenerate. And when the soil is even plowed and the fertilizer flows freely, oases of biodiversity quickly turn into ecological wastelands.

‘Meadow Wild’ is not only a visually appealing film, but also an urgent appeal to protect and naturally keep flowery meadows. And that is necessary, as these scenic gems in Western Europe are now frighteningly sparse.