Guldsmedesøen in Ølgod

A small lake with a picky resident

Guldsmedesøen is located close to town by Torvegade in Ølgod, but the story of the place is not just about a pretty lake surface. The green hawker dragonfly has been found here, a species closely linked to the plant water soldier. This makes the vegetation in the lake more than something you simply clear away for the sake of the view.

That is precisely why the lake’s clean-up took a different course when the dragonfly was discovered. Plants in part of the lake were left standing because they are part of the species’ habitat. It is a good reminder that nature management sometimes means letting the slightly messy parts remain.

A learning bridge by the water

In the western part of the lake there is a wooden learning bridge. It is intended as a place where children and school classes can get close to the aquatic environment, fish with nets and investigate what lives among the plants and along the bank. You should not expect the rare dragonfly to appear on command, but the bridge provides a concrete place to look for life at the water’s edge.

As part of Ølgod’s lake area

Guldsmedesøen is part of the recreational lake area in the southern part of Ølgod together with Engsøen and Svanesøen. From Torvet in Ølgod, a walk through town along Søndergade to the lake is recommended, so the place works both as a short nature stop and as part of a longer walk through the town’s green edge.