About Nature Reserve

• Viidumäe Nature Reserve was founded in 1957 when the area of the reserve was only 593 ha. Since then, the nature reserve has expanded to 2,611.1 hectares.
• The oldest area of Saaremaa and the highest peak Raunamägi Hill (58.8 m above sea level) is situated in the nature reserve.
• The special ecological community in the nature reserve is the lime-rich spring fen where one can find the plant Saaremaa yellow rattle (Rhinanthus osiliensis) that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
• The symbol of Viidumäe Nature Reserve is the English ivy (Hedera helix).
• From the protected species, the black stork (Ciconia nigra), blunt-flowered rush (Juncus subnodulosus), Alpine butterwort (Pinguicula alpina), and yellowdrop milkcap mushroom (Lactarius chrysorrheus) are more noteworthy.
• There was a hospital for lepers in the administrative centre from 1904–1946.
• Viidumäe Nature Reserve belongs to the Natura 2000 network as an area of conservation of Viidumäe and Vedruka bog and the West Estonian archipelago biosphere reserve (UNESCO).
• The manager of Viidumäe Nature Reserve is the Environmental Board. 

Spring fen. Photo: Allar Liiv