Eco-points and compensation areas
District of Hildesheim
Immediately available eco-points from recognised eco-accounts. greeNature is your full-service partner for compensation according to Lower Saxony nature conservation law (NAGBNatSchG) between Hildesheim plateau and Leine hills.
The District of Hildesheim at a glance
Hildesheim District lies in southern Lower Saxony south of the Hannover region. Lower Saxony has no administrative regions, so the district comes directly under state control. The district seat and administrative centre is Hildesheim. Other major towns are Sarstedt to the north and Alfeld (Leine) and Bad Salzdetfurth to the south.
Geographically, the district lies at the transition from the north German lowlands to upland areas. The north and west belong with the Hildesheim and Calenberg loess plateau to natural region D32 (Lower Saxony plateaux), a gently rolling, fertile arable landscape. The south and east comprise the Inner Leine and Leine hills in natural region D36 (Lower Weser hills and upper Weser-Leine hills) and are characterised by forested muschelkalk heights such as Hildesheim Forest, the Sieben Berge and Sackwald.
Ecologically, the district links intensively used arable areas with natural forests and river floodplains. It is traversed by Leine and Innerste rivers, which form important biotope network corridors as floodplains. The district reports 19 FFH sites and two EU bird protection areas to the European protected site network Natura 2000, including Hildesheim Forest, Sieben Berge and foothills, Haseder Busch with the Innerste floodplain, and Giesener ponds as an important bird area.
The economy is shaped by automotive suppliers, mechanical engineering, logistics and agriculture, with major locations in Hildesheim and along the A7 motorway. Transport and commercial projects, raw material extraction, wind and solar energy, plus settlement development regularly trigger impacts whose compensation must be provided according to the biotope value method and NLWKN guidance materials.
🗺️ Associated natural regions
Go to natural region D36 ›
Go to natural region D32 ›
📍 Selected municipalities
🌿 Ecological features
- Natura 2000 with 19 FFH sites and two EU bird protection areas in the district area
- FFH site Hildesheim Forest, large-scale beech and broadleaf mixed forest on muschelkalk
- FFH site Sieben Berge, foothills with chalk beech forests and chalk semi-dry grassland
- FFH site Haseder Busch, Giesener Berge, Gallberg, Finkenberg with the Innerste floodplain
- Nature reserve Giesener ponds, important breeding and staging site for water and wading birds on former potash ponds
- Leine and Innerste floodplain as river and floodplain corridors through the district
- Transition from open loess plateau (D32) to forested upland and hill landscape (D36)
✅ greeNature on the ground
greeNature operates nationally and knows the requirements of the impact mitigation regulation in Lower Saxony from practice. We secure suitable areas on the plateau and in the Leine hills, plan naturally appropriate measures such as floodplain restoration, field-area enhancement and natural woodland conversion, and assess using the biotope value method according to NLWKN guidance materials. We fully support coordination with the lower nature conservation authority of Hildesheim District and long-term securing and monitoring of compensation areas.
Typical measures in the district of Hildesheim
Field area enhancement
Creation of flower strips, arable wildflower margins, hedgerows and skylark plots in the open loess plateau. Such structures create stepping-stone biotopes and support field birds such as skylarks, grey partridges and corn buntings, plus numerous insect species.
Floodplain restoration on Leine and Innerste
Removal of bank engineering, connection of oxbows and development of waterbody margins and riparian forest margins. This creates steep banks, gravel bars and moist floodplain habitats, whilst also improving water retention in the landscape.
Natural woodland conversion
Conversion of structurally poor stands to naturally appropriate broadleaf mixed forests of beech, oak and hornbeam in Hildesheim Forest and the Leine hills. Promotion of old and dead wood and habitat trees upgrades forests for bats, woodpeckers and forest species.
Chalk grassland and traditional orchards
Management and creation of semi-dry grassland, margins and traditional orchards on the muschelkalk slopes of Sieben Berge and foothills through scrub removal, extensive grazing and adapted cutting. These habitats are especially species-rich in wild bees, butterflies and orchids.
Small waterbodies and amphibian protection
Creation and networking of sunny, fish-free spawning waterbodies and pools in the vicinity of Innerste floodplain and Giesener ponds. Supplemented with land habitats, they secure breeding sites for amphibians such as great crested newts, tree frogs and natterjack toads.
Species protection CEF and FCS
Bat roosts on buildings and in forests, kingfisher steep banks on Leine and Innerste, and replacement habitats for sand lizards on railway embankments and worked areas, each as an early CEF or population-supporting FCS measure under § 44 and § 45 BNatSchG.
Protected species in the Hildesheim plateau and Leine hills
Skylark in the plateau
The wide arable fields of the Hildesheim and Calenberg plateau are habitat for skylarks and other field birds. The species is in decline in numbers. Skylark plots, flower areas and extensive field-edge strips are proven support measures.
About this species ›Northern lapwing on moist meadows
The northern lapwing breeds on moist grassland and arable areas of the plateau and river lowlands. Rewetted depressions, shallow pools and extensively used wet grassland secure breeding and feeding habitat for meadow birds.
About this species ›Kingfisher on Leine and Innerste
Natural riverbank sections of the rivers provide steep banks as breeding sites. In impacts on waterbodies, such as bridge or bank construction, steep bank creation and riverbank restoration are typical CEF measures for the strictly protected kingfisher.
About this species ›Bats in Hildesheim Forest
Old beech and broadleaf mixed forests on muschelkalk are hunting and roosting habitat for species such as Bechstein's bat and greater mouse-eared bat (Annex II and IV of the Habitats Directive). On felling or building demolition, replacement roosts are required as a CEF measure.
About this species ›European wildcat in the Leine hills
The forested heights of the Inner Leine and Leine hills belong to the range of the strictly protected European wildcat. Forest edge design, old and dead wood and networking of woodland areas via hedgerows and woody corridors promote the species.
About this species ›Amphibians of the Giesener ponds
Small waterbodies and ponds in the vicinity of Innerste floodplain and Giesener ponds host great crested newts, tree frogs and other amphibians. Creation and networking of suitable spawning waters are proven CEF and FCS measures in construction projects.
About this species ›Which projects trigger a compensation obligation?
Transport and infrastructure
Federal Motorway A7 crosses the district, plus federal and state roads, bypass routes and heavily used railway lines with S-Bahn connection to Hannover. Expansion and new construction regularly trigger compensation and replacement obligations under §§ 13 to 15 BNatSchG.
Industry, commerce and logistics
Automotive suppliers, mechanical engineering and logistics shape the economy in Hildesheim and along the A7. Expansion of plant areas and new commercial and logistics areas lead to land sealing and require nature conservation compensation.
Energy and raw material extraction
Wind energy installations in open upland areas and on the plateau, utility-scale photovoltaic installations plus limestone and gravel extraction, for example in the Söhlde area and in river floodplains, create compensation requirements and can trigger species protection CEF and FCS measures.
Settlement development
Residential and commercial areas in Hildesheim, Sarstedt and surrounding Hannover require nature conservation compensation. Owners of arable and grassland can offer their areas as compensation areas and have them permanently secured.
From enquiry to monitoring
Contact and enquiry
Tell us your compensation requirement and the natural region. We check availability.
Offer and advice
A transparent offer covering measure types, scope and availability.
Coordination with authorities
Full coordination with the lower nature conservation authority. We handle everything.
Long-term monitoring
Permanent securing of the land, management and documentation across the contract term.
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