Tidal change. The Hallig Norderoog
Norderoog – a tiny, uninhabited Hallig island in the North Frisian Wadden Sea. Isolated, it belongs to the strictly protected core zone of the national park and is an important breeding ground for seabirds such as the critically endangered Sandwich tern. And more recently, it has also become an important outpost for research into climate change in the coastal region.
Jens Wand, the bird king of Norderoog
The history of Norderoog in modern times is shaped by the commitment of the Jordsand Association as a lawyer for nature and bird conservation in Northern Germany. Once settled, the Hallig became uninhabitable after the great flood of 1825, was acquired by the Jordsand Association in 1909 and later stabilized through coastal protection measures.
The first caretaker of flora and fauna on Norderoog, commissioned by the Jordsand Association, was the legendary "Bird King" Jens Wand. Even then, his duties included recording bird populations, documenting the arrivals and departures of entire populations, and protecting the birdlife from intruders such as egg thieves.
Jens Wand carried out this task using occasionally rough methods, thereby earning great respect from uninvited guests. His service began in 1909 and ended tragically on May 26, 1950, when he drowned while marching through the mudflats.
The climate island of Norderoog
Following in the footsteps of Jens Wand, Norderoog will continue to be managed – on a rotating annual basis – by a bird warden on behalf of Jordsand. However, the scope of their duties has expanded considerably: it is no longer solely about monitoring bird populations, but also, in cooperation with the National Park Administration and the University of Hamburg, about documenting and researching the effects of climate change on the Wadden Sea.
Under the umbrella brand "Climate Hallig" The Jordsand association is promoting this ambitious project and is supported by the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of the Environment, with Minister Tobias Goldschmidt as patron. Webcams allow users to follow the activities on Norderoog around the clock – not only the events in the seabird breeding colonies, but also, for example, the bird warden's patrols.
From March to October 2025, this task was carried out by Nils Bayer, a student of nature conservation and land use planning at Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences.
"I will miss the solitude" (bird warden Nils Bayer)
In October 2025, I was on site with a special permit after a challenging march through the mudflats and spent a day filming Nils in the context of my report. "Changing Tides" can accompany them. Otherwise, Norderoog may only be visited during a guided mudflat hike within a small time window outside the breeding season.
Like Jens Wand before him, the "modern" bird warden lives as a hermit on a simple stilt house during his stay on Norderoog. His only comforts are electric light and a wireless connection to the outside world via the internet and mobile phone. There is no delivery service – for example, by ship – for everyday necessities.
When Nils accompanied me on my walk across the mudflats to Norderoog, he had just filled his backpack to the brim with groceries at the shop on the Hallig Hooge. "This has to last two to three weeks," he explained. "I don't travel more often than that." That's understandable, since each trip involves covering almost ten strenuous kilometers.
After exciting hours on Norderoog, it was time to begin the return journey to Hooge before the tide blocked the way. As a parting thought, I had saved a question for Nils: "How did you manage to stay here for so long since March – surrounded by magnificent nature, yet in total solitude?"
His reply came promptly: “Quite honestly – it is very difficult for me to leave this self-imposed exile after the end of my service. In the turbulent everyday life on the mainland, I will long for the peace and solitude of Norderoog. And of course, I will also long for my work in bird conservation and helping with climate change research.”
I thank the Jordsand Association for the Protection of Seabirds and Nature e. V. and the Schleswig-Holstein State Agency for Coastal Protection, National Park and Marine Conservation/Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park Administration for their support.
