Madum Creek Nature Project

Students and teachers from PTG International Youth College are nursing a long and narrow piece of neglected land back into being “nature”. It is the Madum Creek Nature Project that aims to make a piece of hidden beautiful nature accessible to the general public. The Madum Creek is no doubt an asset to the place, and also the direct cause of the name “Tvind”.

By Elin Hansen

Tvind International School Centre is blessed to have a small stream, or creek, to meander along the north border of its property. It is called Madum Bæk, and is actually the reason the place is called “Tvind”. Before 1972 “Tvindgården” – Tvind Farm – was situated on this land, with an old house, a barn, stables and some smaller houses.  The stream “winds” around the property – or “tvinder”-

in the Danish dialect that is spoken in Western Jutland. Hence the name: Tvind.

When the first schools were established on the property in the early seventies, the local people simply referred to them as the “Tvind schools”, paying little attention to the fact that the schools had names like “The Necessary Teacher Training College” or “The Travelling Folk High School”. 

A lot of trees where planted on the property in the 1980’s, mostly spruce, but also larch, pine and maples. The new forest has attracted wildlife like birds, squirrels, foxes and deer. Along one stretch of the creek an old living fence of spruce have been left standing, and these trees are now very impressive indeed.
The creek is largely inaccessible though, because of bushes, vines, stinging nettles and other undergrowth.

Beginning in August 2013, PTG International Youth College has on its agenda to polish the rough diamond that is Madum Creek into a true gem. The aim is to make a path along the creek from the parking lot at Tvind Bridge down to the bridge by Nr Bundgaard.

The idea is that all teachers and students from the college spend every Wednesday together, working all day with the project  - clearing a path, making compost heaps, making live fences with branches, building dams in the creek to improve oxygen content (in the thus created “rapids”), planting additional trees, cutting paths and building a large shelter in the “Paradise” which is half way in between the two aforementioned bridges. The idea is to make a natural camping ground to be made accessible for schools as well as the general public.

The students get hands-on learning experience with building and constructing, finding solutions, making close contact with nature, learning to appreciate nature, learning names of plants and birds, and last but not least: working together as a team. There is room for creative ideas that are developed as they go along – to create inviting spaces for people to sit down and enjoy the sun filtering through the trees, or the sound of the water running across the stones, or the birds nesting. Instead of burning branches and other biomass, live fences and compost heaps are made, to attract insects, birds and hedgehogs.

The project is expected to be finished in 2016.