Situated between the Rhine and Alsace's great canal, the Ile de Rhinau (Rhinau island) covers a surface area of more than 300 hectares. The site continues into Germany where it is known as the "Taubergiessen". Flooded each season when the Rhine bursts its banks, the Ile de Rhinau offers an extraordinarily diverse natural environment. Chiefly comprised of willow, black poplar, elm, hazel and crab-apple trees, the alluvial forest also includes large quantities of creepers. Geese, wild ducks and a few beavers have all chosen to make their home in this nature reserve.