Østensjøvannet () is a

lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

located in the Østensjø borough in

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. It is well known for the wide variety of birds and other wildlife that can be found there. It is currently a wildlife preserve, though urban development posed a serious threat to the lake and its environs during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Etymology

Østensjøvannet ("Østensjø lake") is named after the Østensjø farm (

old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

''Austansjór''). The first element is ''austan'' 'east of', and the last element is ''sjór'' 'sea, lake'. The farm was situated on the lake's east side. The last element is the finite form of ''vann'' 'water; lake'. The meaning of the name is then 'the lake belonging to Østensjø'.

Wildlife

Østensjøvannet is well known for its birdlife, and over 200 different species of birds have been sighted at or near the lake, quite a significant number by Norwegian standards. Other wildlife is regularly sighted at the lake, but the variety of species is not much different from surrounding places, such as Østmarka. Fishing during the summer is forbidden, while ice-fishing is allowed.

Cultural history

Finds in the area suggest that people may have been living in the area as far back as the stone age. Farming in the area started around 500 AD. At various locations surrounding the lake, there are burial mounds from the

Viking Age The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...

. ''Abildsø gård'', located on the lake's west side, was Norway's second farm school. It was where Minna Wetlesen started

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

's, and possibly the world's first "household" - school where girls and young women could learn about running a household and performing the various tasks related to it.

Environmental issues

The lake itself has been a

wildlife preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

since 1992, while Abildsø gård was preserved by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage (''Riksantikvar'') in 1997. In 2002, the Oslo city council passed plans for the "Østensjøvannet Environmental Park", which in effect preserves the various habitats and "green areas" surrounding the lake. Situated inside the Oslo city limits, surrounded on all sides by built-up areas, has put a considerable strain on the lake, both in terms of pollution (especially caused by leaks from less-than-perfectly maintained sewage systems) and plans for using the fields and forested areas surrounding the lake for various purposes, including housing, a cemetery and even a small golf course. The sewage systems affecting the lake have been better maintained in recent years, and the environmental state of the lake is currently much better than it was a decade or two ago.

References

External links

Østensjøvannets Venner
- Association for preserving the lake and its surrounding areas and to spread information and awareness about the same

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ostensjovannet Lakes of Oslo Wetlands of Norway Nature reserves in Norway Landforms of Oslo