The „Sudewiesen“ project.

The Sude plains are in the middle of an EU-sanctioned protected area for birds that is part of the flood plains reserve of the river Elbe. The garganey, corncrake, whinchat and other critically endangered grassland birds still breed in the Sude plains. The Sude plains also serves as a stopover site and as winter quarters for large flocks of northern swans and geese, particularly when the meadows are flooded.

Re-introduced herds of cattle and wild horses are also important for the stork's habitat because they keep the grass short, helping the stork to find its food.

THE STORK FOUNDATION - Störche für unsere Kinder – began The „Sudewiesen“ project in 1994 in the flood plains of the river Elbe. These remaining gully-free areas in the lower Elbe valley are the white stork's most important habitat in Germany.

Dykes have since been removed in order to restore wetland meadows, which are then made available to local farmers for limited use. Not only the stork benefits from an improved habitat, but also other grassland birds such as the critically endangered snipe and many other endangered plant and animal species.

THE STORK FOUNDATION - Störche für unsere Kinder - hopes to purchase further areas along the Sude in order to include these in the river's natural flooding area.