Location of Trischen in the Wadden Sea
	Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the tidal flats between the estuaries of rivers Elbe and Eider lies a small, uninhabited, and easily overlooked island called Trischen. Its precise position is 54°00' northern latitude and 08°41'eastern longitude. But what, exactly, are these tidal flats, and why is this island so special?		Location of the island Aerial view of Trischen Eroding forces of the sea Wind drives the sand Island on the move Nature warden`s hut
	An island on the move
	The southern shoreline of the North Sea along the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark is a very shallow coast. Along this 500 km stretch of coastline the mainland is basically on the same level as the sea. The sea is so shallow that during low tide large parts of the seafloor become exposed, and these vast areas are called tidal flats. The entire ecosystem, comprising tidal flats as well as deep water channels, islands, dunes, sandbanks and salt marshes is called the Wadden Sea and covers an area of roughly 10,000 square kilometers. In this very dynamic ecosystem nothing is very stable - islands built up, are eroded, shift and disappear again. Nowadays humans inhabit most islands and the entire coastline, and thus try to tame the dynamic Wadden Sea by building stone walls, dikes and other artificial structures to prevent a loss of land area. Only very few places remain truly natural, and one of them is Trischen Island.
	Trischen was formed by three sandbanks that shifted towards each other and piled up a heap of sand, high enough for plants to grow upon. This was 400 years ago, and approximately 10 km west of its current position. Due to its sandy nature the island is being pushed forward continuously by wind and sea, and not even human structures could stop this 'migratory island'. The 'movement' is caused by constant erosion of the sand dunes along the west coast of the island, and sedimentation of clay and other debris along the eastern bay. Since the sedimentation process is much slower than the erosion, the island has decreased to a quarter of its former size in the last 80 years. Today Trischen lies 14 km west of the mainland coast, and 20 km north of the river Elbe estuary - the big river that leads to one of Europe`s largest harbours in Hamburg. Industrial civilization is not far from the island, and one of the world`s most frequented shipping routes passes just 10 km southwest.
	Can I visit Trischen Island?
	No. Trischen has been declared a nature reserve almost 70 years ago, and ever since humans abandoned the island in the 1950s, no permanent settlement or infrastructure have been built again on the island. Due to its importance for breeding and migratory birds, the island is now within the core area of the National Park Wadden Sea, and is thus not accessible for the public. A single warden guards the island from March through October every year, but human visitors are not allowed on the island. Many other islands are open for tourists, but on Trischen nature has the right of way.