How this project started

I have spent time around the Hirschbornteiche since 2014. Over the years, I have witnessed the restoration of the ponds and, more recently, the arrival of a beaver family that has begun to reshape the landscape.

About three years ago, this observation became more regular. While my youngest child was not yet placed in kindergarten, we began walking the area several times a week. The paths were gentle and accessible—an easy place for a young child, and a place that invited slowing down.

During this time, I began to notice clear changes in wildlife. Species such as cormorants, cranes, and kingfishers appeared more frequently. What started as simple curiosity led me to bring a camera along, at first just for enjoyment, without any defined goal.

In recent months, the changes have become more pronounced. Beavers began blocking waterways near the Waldweiher close to Bad Soden-Salmünster, working both upstream and downstream. As water levels shifted, I observed an increase in insects, followed by a rise in songbirds—especially robins—responding to the altered habitat.

Now, working as a photographer, this project has become a way to record these changes over time—returning to the same places, observing gradual transformation, and documenting how the landscape responds when natural processes are allowed to unfold.