© by Polina Schneider

Knud Knudsen, Wadden Sea mailman, since 2001: „In the past, decision making was way quicker - Nowadays, coastal protection decisions are taking a long time - way too long.“
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Every year about twenty thousand tons of waste end up in the North Sea. Knud does not collect the garbage while on tour, not because he doesn’t care but because it's way too much to be handled by one person alone. He hopes that people will become more and more responsible when it comes to environmental care: „Everyone is responsible for him- or herself, of course, but I’m also very glad to see when other people are collecting garbage from the Wadden Sea. I’m happy when it is done.“
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Klaus Bornholdt is a sport pilot and flight instructor, former manager of a children’s home and part-time truck driver. In his spare time, he loves to fly above the Wadden Sea area. For him - no flight is the same. He is fascinated by the colors. „I know that I am at home in a really beautiful area. The Wadden Sea is such a unique place and I could not imagine living somewhere else.“
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Norderoog, the Bird Hallig, is a small island of only 0,09 square kilometers. Usually, people are not welcome here. Norderoog stands under environmental protection as it serves as a breeding and resting place for many seabirds, some of which are very rare. All in all, the islands accommodates up to 50.000 birds. Protection is provided by volunteers from the Jordsand Association. The bird watching station is regularly occupied by one bird keeper at a time from the beginning of March to the end of October.
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The Wadden Sea is not only a natural habitat for diverse bird species, but also is natural habitat for seals. They like to make use of the sandbanks in particular - to take a rest and to give birth in summer.
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The Wadden Sea is influenced by the tides. The water comes and goes approximately every six hours and makes the area impassable for people when flooded. When the water is low, people can walk from point A to destination B. Sometimes they need to be accompanied, sometimes it is allowed to go alone.
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Matthias Hansen is a professional carpenter who is running his carpentry since 1995. During summer he also offers tours as a mudflat guide. Official mudflat guides are the only individuals, who are allowed to dig in the muds.
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Kjell Kruse, 16 years old, on his way home from the mainland. His family lives on the Hallig Nordstrandischmoor with a total population of 25 people. He loves old rollers and sheep.
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Life in the Wadden Sea is strongly dependent from the tides and transportation possibilities. For instance: ferries or small trains called "Lore" that connect the islands with the mainland operate only when the water allows it to.
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The MS Pellworm I operates under almost any weather conditions between the mainland and the island Pellworm. A one-way tour takes about forty minutes.
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In August 2021, the island Pellworm has been officially recognized as a so-called "Star Island" by the International Dark Sky Association. Pellworm has made a commitment to preserve its night landscape by significantly restricting the artificial lighting.
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The postman Knud Knudsen's final destination when he is on tour, delivering mail. The Hallig Suederoog, counts exactly four permanent residents. Nowadays, Suederoog is around one kilometer long and 800 meters wide, making a total of 62 hectare.
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