This is what Thy National Park does

Over time, forests and meadows have been drained of their natural water to promote cultivation and forest growth. Thy National Park collaborates with landowners to close drainage ditches so that water can flow freely in the landscape again, greatly benefiting biodiversity.

Water is life, and we see rapid and positive results in heathlands, meadows, and plantations where the natural water levels are restored.

An ecosystem in balance requires space. Vulnerable, isolated populations, such as insects, need to mix with other populations for the species to survive.

Thy National Park works to create cohesion in the area's dune nature. We do this, among other things, by getting private and public landowners to collaborate so that individual nature projects can be linked together, creating corridors and connections between the dune heath areas.

The forests in Thy National Park are all coastal plantations planted to protect against sand drift and later cultivated for commercial timber production.

These plantations primarily consist of invasive coniferous trees, resulting in low natural value and biodiversity.

The Nature Agency, which owns the plantations, now practices close-to-nature forestry to increase the proportion of native trees. The national park collaborates on projects to enhance biodiversity in the plantations. This can be achieved by ensuring natural water levels in the forests, creating open clearings, and transitions to forest landscapes that better connect the plantations and dune heaths.

The North Atlantic coastal heath is a delicate ecosystem that alternates between dry dune tops and moist dune hollows, each with species adapted to its specific conditions. However, the heath is at risk of overgrowth. If left untouched, large grasses would smother the delicate plants, and over time, the heath would likely transition into a forest.

Therefore, the national park works to create dynamism and variation in the dune landscape. This is achieved by removing unwanted invasive species like wrinkled rose and by preserving wetlands and bare sand areas that are vital for insects, adders, and sand lizards.

Our four-legged caretakers play a vital role in the national park's ecosystem. When cattle and horses graze, they help create diversity in the landscape and make room for more species.

These animals graze differently; horses graze closer to the ground, while cattle use their tongues to pull up grass, not grazing as deeply. Both animals wear down the terrain, creating patches of bare earth and sand. Their hooves break the surface, leaving behind small puddles where water accumulates, providing a space for life to thrive. Their dung serves as a source of nourishment for a variety of insects that attract birds.

The grazing animals in the national park are privately owned and are always monitored by animal caretakers in accordance with animal welfare laws.

Thy National Park assists landowners who wish to promote more natural habitats on their land.

We offer guidance to farmers regarding the natural initiatives that would be possible and appropriate for their fields. We conduct preliminary studies to demonstrate the consequences of actions such as digging a pond or closing a drainage ditch, ensuring that there is no risk of flooding houses, gardens, or neighboring properties.

We also remove unwanted invasive plants like wrinkled rose, mountain pine, and shiny-leaved hawthorn for summerhouse owners.

Thy National Park contributes to species monitoring and registration within the park.

New and updated knowledge about the wildlife and flora in the national park forms the basis for management plans, ensuring that the national park develops for the benefit of nature.