and earth material pushed up and compressed into hills at the southern edge of the inland ice block into hills) and the sandur (sands washed out of the terminal moraines as the ice melted, which were deposited on the southern side of the terminal moraines). The Streckelsberg is such a terminal moraine, with an area of sandur to the south as far as the Achterwasser lagoon. The Baltic Sea on the north side of the Streckelsberg can be regarded as a giant terminal moraine lake. 7000 to 5000 years ago the island did not exist in its current form. Only the terminal moraines, also known as island or geest cores stuck out from the waters of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea carried off material from these island cores with the force of waves and prevailing currents, depositing it on their leeward sides, so that spits began to be formed. These spits grew as more material was deposited to form sand bars, so that the area between the island cores fully silted up. Examples of such sedimentation zones are the Pudaglasenke and the lowland area between Peenemünde and Zinnowitz, and between Zinnowitz and Koserow. Flora The vegetation of the area is divided into layers like any natural habitat in the temperate climatic zone. On the field layer are mosses and fungi (penny bun or cep, honey fungus), in addition there is the herbaceous layer, which is characterized by various species depending on the season. In spring when the soil is warmed up quickly by sunlight, spring flowers like hepatica appear, which conjure up blue carpets on the forest floor, followed by anemone. As the temperatures rise, leaves sprout on the trees. The level of sunlight under the trees reduces and species such as Spring Vetchling, Lily of the Valley, May Lily, Moschatel, Herb Paris and Woodruff appear, which flourish under conditions of low light. As the foliage becomes denser, shade-loving summer flowers appear. The first ones are the remaining native orchids of our deciduous forests. On the Streckelsberg: Common Twayblade, Lesser Butterfly-orchid, Bird's-nest Orchid and Red helleborine. Rather less colourful summer flowers in the beech woods are the Small Balsam, Common Figwort, Wood Avens, Wall Lettuce, Baneberry and Enchanter's-nightshade. Characteristic grasses of the herbaceous layer of the beech forest are False Brome, Wood Melick and Giant Fescue. The overlying shrub layer consists of bushes and saplings, such as Elder, Rowan,