Harte Skov – Harte Forest
At the afforestation of Harte Forest they had the chance to plant in the most approved fashion, and the forest has been afforested with many different trees and bushes. The composition makes the forest more resistant to wind influence and diseases, and consequently it is a more stable eco-system. The diversity of the plant selection also makes the forest more exciting to walk about in.

Due to the sandy soil, 50% of the area has been afforested with conifers (common spruce, sitka spruce, silver fir, douglas fir and larch). In the remaining areas various foliiferous trees such as oak, beech, birch, lime, great maple and bird cherries have been afforested. Large areas have been afforested with sessile-fruited oaks, as it grows well in the sandy soil.

At the edge of the forest wide and strong fringes of wood have been planted with various foliiferous trees and bushes. As a result of the great variation of the plant height and density of foilage the fringe creates shelter and improves the climate within the forest. Indigenous, flowering and berry-bearing species were planted, such as hawthorn, elder, roses, brambles, honeysuckle, rowan, maple, hazel, broom, arrowwood,blackthorn, Norway maple etc. As the forest's edges consist of so many species of trees and bushes, they make up important habitat for many different animals and plants. .


Marielund
Marielund, which is closest to the centre was donated to Kolding in 1873 by the owner at that time Mr. Otto Frederik Kralund, who stipulated that the area should always bear the name Marielund (Marie's grove) in memory of his wife Marie. In Marielund lies the Marielund lake, which was created by damming and has functioned as a mill lake, for the now dismantled mill, Skovmøllen - the Forest Mill .

It is a very idyllic walk along the lake, where the tall beeches are reflected in the surface. At the lake there are various ducks, and you may be lucky to catch a glimpse of the kingfisher, that is living in the area. Anglers are eagerly fishing from the lake's borders, and they may catch pike and flounders i.a. On a small plateau near the lake lies Kolding Naturskole.


Stenderup Skovene
The Stenderup Forests mainly consist of deciduous forest, especially beech trees of different ages are dominant. In the Stenderup Forests there are historical ancient monuments such as long barrows and ramparts from the Middle Ages.

A lynx in the Stenderup Forests?
The Stenderup Forests became famous nation-wide, which there at the end of 1997 were reports that a lynx had been seen in the forests. The lynx does normally not live in Denmark, but could possibly have escaped captivity, yet nobody reported a lynx missing, neither in Denmark nor in Germany! In the beginning people thought, that it was a large red cat, that had been seen, and that stray dogs had killed deer in the forest and eaten of them, but according to explanations from eye witnesses and investigations of the killed deer with bite marks that even game consulent Mr. Bent Junker-Hansen was convinced that it could be a lynx.

Svanemosen - The Swan Bog
Svanemosen is a raised bog. Formerly a lot of peat was dug here, and there are still clear traces of the intense peat -digging, which took place during WW II. The large lake in the middle of the Bog for example has arisen as a result of the peat-digging.

The bog is characterized by brushwood, which mainly consists of birch, alder and pine. Parts of the Svanemosen is laid as untouched forest with a view to creating a natural forest. In the western part of the bog a large area is covered by plants such as heather, crowberries, cranberries, sundew and sphagnum.

Reestablishment of the Original Vegetation
Without human intervention heather will in time yield to trees and bushes, and the bog with be entirely covered by scrub. This was not wanted, and in the middle of the 1980-ies a large restoration of the raised bog was started. Large areas were cleared of birches, mountain pine and Skotch pine, and in places it was attempted to raise the water level to reestablish the raised bog with it characteristic peat bog vegetation.
The bog is a good area for reptiles and amphibians, as water snakes, adders, common lizards, sand lizards and sharp-nosed frogs and common frogs live in the bog. Polecats, marten, hares, foxes, badgers and deer also live in the bog. The rare willow tit has also been seen in the area.