The first round table within the Dinara back to LIFE project was held in Sinj, organized by the Cetina Krajina LAG, and the topic was beekeeping and the challenges facing the local beekeeper. The meeting was attended by representatives of beekeepers, local governments, public institutions for nature management, LAG, and the Biom Association.
In the Cetina region, about 250 beekeepers own about 12,000 hives, and in the last two years the coronavirus has made it difficult to place honey on the market, while increasingly frequent extreme weather conditions have affected the seasonal delay of vegetation. The main topic of the round table was encouraging planting of honey plants in green public and private areas with the aim of improving bee grazing.
As the main current problem, beekeepers unanimously pointed out climate change and several years of drought which makes beekeeping much more difficult in general, and especially stationary beekeeping. It is for this reason that the planting of honey plants and trees that better tolerate drought and bloom in spring or autumn has been proposed, and it is to be expected that indigenous species are more resistant and adapted to local climatic conditions. For beekeepers affected by drought, the renovation project of wells and ponds was presented as indirect support.
Tomislav Sotinac, an expert associate for nature protection at the Dinara back to LIFE project, has presented the idea of action cleaning of overgrown and polluted areas owned by local government units, provided that honey plants are then planted on those areas.
Ivan Budinski, expert project advisor for nature protection, suggested planting honey trees along embankments and canals leading from the settlements to the fields. In this way the number of trees in the area would increase due to elongation. This activity would require the approval of Hrvatske vode public company.
The participants of the round table also mentioned the problem of medicines for varroa, which are subsidized to beekeepers by the state, although they are not effective, while those medicines that are effective are still not available or approved in Croatia. Beekeepers have cited the potential for breaking through, clearing and widening forest fire roads that can be of great benefit to them when accessing certain locations.
The main activity of the Dinara back to LIFE project is the restoration of Dinaric grasslands due to their importance for nature and overall biodiversity, and the restoration of grasslands will benefit all residents of the Dinara area, including beekeepers. The organization of round tables is an introduction to further activities of holding rural development workshops, all in order to further encourage the development of primary activities in the wider project area.
The construction of ponds as a human intervention in nature is one of the few examples where what man did in nature was beneficial to both man and nature. Time, however, works against puddles because they are less and less needed so many are neglected. But there is energy, knowledge and the will to renew or maintain them. One of those who successfully deals with this is Alen Čikada, from KAL, an association for the protection and restoration of karst ponds, who recently gave a lecture in Sinj in Biom’s organization on the restoration of ponds, and then brought his lecture into practice and showed on the example of Marunska bunarina pond how the restoration of ponds is carried out.
Culturally and historically, ponds are present everywhere on the karst – the pond is a cultural heritage, although its original purpose is practical – the accumulation of water, says Čikada. The ponds are mostly semi-natural or artificial, they are rarely natural, and they were made by man to enable him to live on karst, that is, to be able to water the cattle.
Places for puddles were chosen by man in a way that he noticed that water was being collected in some of the depressions and decided to intervene in a way that he fenced off the depression and thus made the puddles as we see them today. At the beginning of the 20th century, new ponds stopped being built, and in the middle of the 20th century, they stopped being maintained. They are neglected, as Čikada explains, in the 1960s, when the number of cattle began to fall and there was less grazing, so water in remote places was no longer needed because cattle breeders didn’t go that far. The arrival of the water supply caused additional neglect of the ponds.
We find ponds in various places – on islands, deep on the continent, in the mountains, wherever the need arises, ponds have been built. Among them, there is an interesting pond on Silba island, placed about 15 meters from the sea, half a meter below sea level, but it is still very pure of seawater. Ponds also exist regardless of altitude, we find them everywhere, so we record a pond on Učka at 1,000 meters above sea level.
All ponds must be cleaned because leaves and soil or sludge are collected in them throughout the year, leaving less and less space for water. Rotting increases the amount of sludge and reduces the volume of water. Cleaning a puddle should therefore be a regular job, but that job is neither easy nor beautiful because the puddle neither smells nor looks nice, admits Čikada. The expert points out that people are afraid of puddles like mosquito nests. However, mosquito counts have shown that there are more mosquitoes in the proximity on one discarded truck tire full of water than around a puddle because one healthy puddle does not allow mosquitoes to breed because animals eat mosquitoes. The problem is the puddle that is overgrown with vegetation.
There are two main reasons why Čikada is embarking on the restoration of ponds: the first is the most direct one – ponds are needed if cattle breeding is to be developed in Croatia. Another reason is the biological value because the pond supports a closed ecosystem on the karst, it serves as a place where amphibians lay eggs, we can say that the pond is their “uterus”, Čikada makes an interesting metaphor.
When ponds are restored, priority should be given to those where livestock pass, or the ones in remote places where there is no other body of water nearby, so that one restored pond would support the ecosystem of the area. Čikada restores traditionally, which means that he at the start researches where is the nearest clay source, which is not lacking in the Dinaric area, in order to have easily accessible material when restoring a pond. Čikada thinks it would be good to build ponds in new places, something that is rarely done now, although new ponds can be made with little resources.
The grass is a big problem when the pond is being overgrown by it, because it loosens the soil so the water starts to be lost a lot. In cases of more gravelly soil the grass grows less, but where the soil is clean from rocks the grass grows very successfully. The root system of grass in such cases is also very widespread, creating cavities in the ground that are heated more intensively causing strong transpiration, so a lot of water is lost. In addition, the grass also uses the water for itself.
Čikada describes that when rebuilding the pond, he wants to have 30 centimeters of trampled clay on the bottom, as is the case with golf courses when building ponds. If the layer of trampled clay is 10 cm it will hold water, even such a thin layer of 2-3 centimeters of clay can hold water. It is good, however, that there is some sludge in the pond – 5 to 10 centimeters because the sludge protects the clay from the sun and drying out. At the puddle, the marginal parts start to leak first. When the puddle dries, it is good to drive a 10-ton excavator over it for a few hours as this will repair it. The pond will hold on for one season longer thanks only to that trampling. People can do the same – 20 people in boots can stamp down the clay for a few hours, advises Čikada. Previously, hay would be placed on the bottom of the pond for the cattle to eat, and then the cattle would trample the bottom of the pond even more, and some hay would remain, as well as cattle dung, which would provide an additional protective layer at the bottom of the pond. Additionally, dung enhances the ph value of the puddle.
In his lecture, Čikada also presented the main “enemies” of the pond. Gambusia affinis, he admits, disrupts the entire system, but is a minor problem. The bigger problem is the goldfish (Carassius auratus) because it reproduces excessively and has no enemies, it fertilizes the water with bodily secretions and such a pond has many more plants, which in turn create sludge. In addition, this invasive species eat indigenous animals. Another natural enemy of puddles is the red-eared slider, which is often encountered in puddles, and the problem with it is that it eats everything it catches. The golden rule is, says Čikada – “no fish should be in a puddle!”. That is why it is good for the pond to dry out, because that is how the fish disappear, while the amphibians survive.
Marunska bunarina at the end of the restoration
When renovating, Čikada takes care of everything – the sludge is disposed of up to 50 meters from the pond. From this sludge all the larvae will crawl out. Aquatic plants are placed near water for 24 hours, and only then are they deposited elsewhere. When rebuilding a pond, attention is given to the amphibian season. The puddle will not be pumped out while the tadpoles are inside. Mowing around a puddle is also avoided while tadpoles become frogs. Čikada advises that it is best to clean puddles at the end of August and the whole of September and part of October. The second period of low water is February.
When intervening in the environment, man usually degrades it and reduces biodiversity. With ponds, as Čikada points out, man increases diversity because he has given water, and the environment is beautified because the ponds fit nicely into nature. Such changes nature caused by humans give added value to the environment, support the animal world in their surroundings, enable cattle grazing and are a pleasing addition to the eye. One example of the harmony of man and nature!
Watch Čikada’s lecture below (88 mins, in Croatian):
Last Friday in Sinj, lectures were held on the restoration of ponds, and next days in Vučipolje above Peruća Lake accumulated knowledge was applied in the restoration of a neglected pond.
The proposal to renovate the Marunska bunarina pond came through the Dinara back to LIFE Collaborative Council, which brought together stakeholders such as hunters, ranchers and beekeepers, giving the community a chance to highlight what they think is important for restoration. This stakeholder proposal was implemented a few months after it was presented.
Alen Čikada, Kallokva associationa
The process of rebuilding the pond began with the transfer of knowledge. Alen Čikada, an expert from the Association for the Protection and Restoration of Karst Puddles KAL, in the Palacina Hall in Sinj on Friday, October 8, gave a lecture “How and why do we restore ponds in karst?”. Čikada also presented successful examples of karst pond restoration. Restoration expert Čikada, from Lucijan near Žminj, has been dealing with ponds since childhood, and through the KAL association he has been working on ponds restoration for a decade. In his lecture, he passed on his knowledge about the restoration of the pond, and the participants of the lecture gained his knowledge and will be able to start applying it themselves.
On Saturday, October 9, the application of what was learned followed – about 20 people participated in the restoration of the Marunska bunarina pond, including hunters from the Hrvace Hunting Association, members of the Cetinska Krajina LAG, members of the Dragodid association that deals with drywall restoration, Alen Čikada from KAL and members and volunteers of Biom. Marunska bunarina pond near Vučipolje on the eastern side of Lake Peruća was overgrown by vegetation, with collapsed dry stone walls in which however the waterproof layer of dirt has been preserved, so the pond was functional, the water was still retained and was therefore suitable for restoration.
At the beginning of restoration
At Saturday’s action, the vegetation that grew from the pond itself was removed, and the vegetation that grew in the vicinity of the pond, which caused the dry stone wall to collapse and was preventing access to the pond, was also cleaned. The bottom of the pond has been cleared of grass and other vegetation to prevent sludge from forming. The dry stone wall that encloses the pond has been largely restored and will prevent the dirt from collapsing into the pond in the future, as well as the intrusion of other material. Cleaned and restored in this way, the pond should keep water for longer periods, and should also be a source of drinking water during the dry summer period. Photo traps will also be placed on the restored pond to monitor which wildlife is using it.
Ponds are one of the few examples of human intervention in nature that are good for nature and contribute to biodiversity. They were once used to hold water and maintain livestock where there was no water, and as there are fewer herders and livestock in this area, ponds are less and less used, so they are no longer maintained and are decaying.
Biom’s expert advisor for nature protection Ivan Budinski comments on the condition of the Marunska bunarina pond before and after the reconstruction, and assesses its impact on biodiversity in this microlocation: “The pond was in poor condition and it remains to be seen what it will support from living beings. This summer it has completely dried up so we don’t know what was in it and whether it died due to drying out or managed to complete a part of its water-related life cycle and will surely leave the puddle. The amphibians certainly did not survive because the pond dried up early and long after that there was no rain to keep the young amphibians, hidden in the soil around the pond, alive. We hope that the pond will be inhabited by amphibians typical of the area this autumn (salamander, brown toad, forest brown frog, large green frog) and that it will serve as a water resource for many wild animals and livestock all summer”.
This September, the restoration activities of the Dinara back to LIFE project began, and the first activity was the implementation of an educational-volunteer camp, whose participants learned about habitat restoration and sustainable environmental management and began removing overgrown vegetation from Dinaric grasslands.
The educational-volunteer camp brought together students from all over Croatia, who are on their way to becoming experts in the fields of biology, geography, agronomy, forestry and other related fields. Eighteen students spent two weeks, from September 5 to 19, in Ježević, where, under the guidance of the project team, they gained their first experiences in habitat restoration projects.
In 14 days, students brought 28.8 ha of overgrown grasslands in a favorable condition (Map 1).
The goal of the camp was for students to gain first-hand practical knowledge and experience of grasslands restoration in two weeks, but also to bring them closer to the work of institutions involved in nature conservation and grasslands management through the educational program.
The overgrown vegetation of juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus) was removed by students with hand tools, and in the video you can see the scene from the action.
In addition to habitat restoration activities, workshops and lectures were organized daily for camp participants, where colleagues from institutions involved in management planning in grassland conservation and protection presented their work, and the most important challenges they face.
In the lectures, the students got acquainted with the project itself and its goals, with a focus on habitat restoration. Then, they learned about conservation biology, an interdisciplinary applied scientific branch whose goal is to preserve biodiversity, and how we apply it to the Dinara back to LIFE project.
The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development gave a lecture on protected areas and the Natura 2000 ecological network, as well as key actors in their management. Croatian Forests educated students on forest land management in the karst area, and took students to areas that were burned or afforested in order to present in practice some of the challenges and solutions.
Luka Škunca, BIOM, presentation on GIX programme
The Ministry of Agriculture held an education on European policies related to biodiversity and agriculture, LAG Cetinska krajina introduced students to the problems and some solutions to the challenges of using incentives, while the lecture of the Faculty of Agriculture addressed the importance of research and data collection in planning and implementing restoration activities on the results of the latest scientific research on the usability of pastures on the Dinara. A demonstration presentation of GIS was held for the students and they practically tried out the program for analyzing geodata.
Frywall restoration
The educational-volunteer camp was closed with the „World Cleanup Day“ action in which camp participants restored one of the overgrown roads along Lake Perućko, and with the mentoring of volunteers and associates from the association “4 Grada Dragodid” learned about drywall construction and restored some damaged walls.
We hope that this experience was valuable to the camp participants and that it will help them in further education and professional guidance.
At the beginning of restoration on Ježević Suhopolje
The area of Velebit, due to its beauty and importance for nature, has a unique place in Croatia. It is also in that position thanks to individuals and institutions that make efforts to preserve the nature of Velebit, promote the area, and to encourage sustainable development and coexistence with nature.
Presentation of Dinara back to LIFE project
At the end of August, the Dinara back to LIFE project team visited the Velebit area, with the aim of getting to know the institutions involved in the management and use of grasslands, as well as the success stories of individuals developing their business opportunities based on their sustainable use.
The program of the visit began with a meeting with representatives of public institutions for the management of protected areas, who shared their experiences related to the management and use of grasslands, presented the program of grazing in the protected area and introduced us to the challenges they face in their work. “Dinara back to LIFE” project team was welcomed by employees of the Public Institution “Northern Velebit National Park”, Public Institution “Velebit Nature Park” and the Public Institution for Nature Protection and Preservation of Lika-Senj County, who were introduced to the Dinara back to LIFE project.
Sheep of Veliki Alan saddle
The conversation between the representatives of the project and public organizations was filled with practical challenges and solutions that the users of this space face. The experiences of cattle breeders who face a great challenge of water scarcity on the Croatian karst were transferred, so they are asking for the restoration of additional wells in the grazing areas. The difficulty that Croatian cattle breeders have due to the impossibility of removing bushes was presented, which means that succession takes over pastures, and predators have a safe shelter, while cattle breeders in the Northern Velebit National Park are still free from this ban. The conversation touched on the practical problem of keeping dogs, an extremely important helper for cattle breeders, whom visitors are sometimes afraid of as they approach them because some pastures are close to roads and hiking trails. Representatives of the National Park emphasized that trained dogs do not attack, but go on the attack only if they feel attacked, or if they feel an attack on the cattle they keep.
Cows on Veliki Alan
The Ordinance of the National Park puts in a somewhat more difficult position the owners who bring cattle to pasture in the Park area – a cattle breeder whose animals are killed by predators is not entitled to compensation because it is located in the national park. An existing herder must keep 31 sheep, and if predators take away some of his cattle, which happens regularly, the herder must reimburse that number, at his own expense. Representatives of the Northern Velebit National Park pointed out the fundamental shortcoming concerning cattle – the case when there are no shepherds with the animals! This is not the only problem with animals in this area – on Krivi Put area (outside the NP, above Senj) the problem is a wild herd of horses, and the same problem happened in the heart of the Northern Velebit National Park – on popular tourist destination Premužić trail a wild herd problem has been recorded, as noted by NP rangers.
Young herder Mihovil Jurčić guides the project team to his herd
The issue of grazing in the National Park was also touched upon – there are 360 hectares of pastures and everything is being used, with smaller areas of private plots, but on the south, coastal side of the National Park vegetation “closes” pastures because they are much more inaccessible. It seems the process of forest succession on this side of Velebit is completed, although it does not have to be irreversible.
On the opposite, eastern side of Lika, the situation is completely different, as pointed out by the representatives of the Public Institution of Lika-Senj County, because the matter with the fields, ie succession, is far more favorable since the pastures were restored with incentives, as is the case in Lička Plješivica. It opens up diverse possibilities such as therapeutic riding in the area of Bijeli Potoci – Kamensko, as suggested by the representatives of the Public Institution. However, a new challenge has emerged – intensive felling of vegetation that is taken away for burning for the purpose of obtaining wood for bio-energy.
Jurčić herders, National park representatives and the project team on Veliki Alan pass
The project team once again thanks for the hospitality, sharing their lessons and experiences, and we look forward to the opportunity to host representatives of the Northern Velebit National Park, Velebit Nature Park and the Public Institution for Nature Conservation of Lika-Senj County in the Dinara area and present our grassland restoration experience. and livestock incentives.
After a very informative conversation, a visit to cattle breeders in the field within the National Park, in the area of Veliki Alan, whose cattle graze the pastures within the park, followed. OPG Alan from Pazarište received a concession in the National Park through a public tender, which it grazes with more than 200 cattle, mostly buša cattle, and 31 sheep. The young cattle breeder Mihovil Jurčić (27) and his father Ivan are the only cattle breeders in the area of the Northern Velebit National Park, considering that the terrain is remote and difficult to access. Two other shepherds are helping the two cattle breeders, and since this is a large herd located high on a mountain where there is a lack of water, the cattle breeders have to bring water to their cattle several times a week. For that reason, they call on the authorities to renovate the Mirovo well, which is located on state land. The demanding organization of livestock work requires careful planning in advance, but as the young enterprising cattle breeder Mihovil says – “my day is planned, but it never goes according to plan!”. Young Jurčić says that it is nice in the mountains when the weather is nice, but that he is lonely when the weather is bad so there are no people. The influence that Mrs. Jurčić’s herd has on the field is obvious – on the cases on Veliki Alan where there is grazing, there is no succession because the cows graze the wood that starts to grow.
A well awaiting restoration
Their hard work and dedication are an inspiring example of sustainable grassland use, and we hope there will be more and more of them in the future.
It was also necessary to get acquainted with the Lika LAG and the Lika-Senj County Tourist Board. The rich work of LAG Lika has provided a number of interesting examples of encouraging local production, among which the most prominent was the quality label “Lika Quality”, a quality assessment system, which certainly puts local products to a new level, as well as the example of “Cheese Road”, Tourist Board project which increases visibility to local producers.
In addition, the LAG presented its project Lika Peasant Market, which aims to create short supply chains, as well as the Lika Coop cooperative through which LAG has conducted training on the establishment of cooperatives. LAG also deals with the promotion and valorization of the gastro-tourist offer of Lika-Senj County, and their goal is to locate all caterers and agricultural producers from this area and connect them with each other. The LAG is also implementing the BusyBee Workshop project, which aims to encourage agritourism, with an emphasis on the promotion of specific local products.
LAG Lika presentation
Exchanges of experiences and ideas, but also problems that institutions face are a source of important lessons, and through mutual exchange we all learn together, and become more prepared for new challenges in the future.
Finally, the time has come to monitor the effects of controlled burning on the selected surface on Vrdovo plateau. We pre-determined our check points, in order to avoid bias in our research, and we proceeded to check the condition of the burned area as well as the difference between that and the adjacent area that we did not burn in a prescribed burn. The important elements of this research were what impact the fire had on woody plants, ie whether there was any impact at all.
Vegetation on the plot where controlled burn was conducted
We recorded data on the species and number of woody plants and whether, for example, only the bark was partially burner, or the trunk was partially damaged, or the trunk was dead but the plant continued to regenerate from the root or stump, or the trunk was dead and the plant was not regenerating. For herbaceous plants, the process was similar, also listing all species and numbers and determining whether the plant is dead due to controlled burning, partially dead and partially regenerating, or fully regenerating normally. The last element checked was the effect the controlled burning had on the soil, ie whether organic matter was partially or completely burned due to prescribed burn, whether humus also burned, and whether bare soil remained.
Sample surface with burnt shrub of Rhamnus intermedius regenerating from root
For woody species, we found that the effect on shrubby plants such as Rhamnus intermedius and Prunus mahaleb was significant and that the most of the aboveground stems burned, but we also noticed that a large number continued to regenerate from the stump or root. The impact on low woody flowering plants important for bees and other insects, such as various species of Satureja, Genista and Teucrium, was very small and even those that were significantly damaged, had been recovering normally. Also, as space was opened for them to grow due to the burned bushes, they spread more than on the unburned plot we used as a control plot.
Monitoring on the control plot, on which there was no prescribed burn
Herbaceous plants such as various species of Carex, Sesleria, Stipa or Koeleria are mostly regenerating normally even if a part of the sod has burned. Numerous flowering species such as Globularia, Eryngium, Dorycnium or Helianthemum were not affected by controlled burning, it had rather opened up space for them to spread.
The effect of winter-time fire to the soil was that the parts and sometimes most of the non-decomposed organic matter on the soil surface had burned. We did not however notice that the fire penetrated deeper into the soil and destroyed humus, as is regularly the case during summer-time fires.
Limestone remains gray because burning in winter-time does not create high temperatures that would destroy lichens on the stone
This research proves that if we conduct controlled burn in the colder part of the year in strictly controlled conditions, it has a positive impact on the preservation of grassland habitats and the spread of plant species important for feeding the livestock and wild animals, as well as on flowering plants important for bees.
About 50 participants of the Collaborative Council held in June in Vrlika and Sinj presented a series of proposals for possible restoration, educational and tourist activities that could be implemented within the Dinara back to LIFE project, but also in parallel with it. There are many wells, ponds and watering places waiting to be cleaned, collapsed dry stone walls and roads that need to be rebuilt, hiking trails that can be enriched with additional content, great potential of beekeeping in this area – from food and trails to treatment, tourist educational trails about lawns, other plants and birds in this area, as well as many other content that this area hides.
Wells and dry stone walls near Vrlika are awaiting reconstruction
Stakeholders pointed out the need to clean the lawn of juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus) in Ježevičko suhopolje and Kijevsko suhopolje, while in Koljani there are several goat trails that were once be used by machines, but they collapsed and need restoration. At Koljani there are also dry stone walls waiting to be rebuilt, while at Budiše in Garjak there are goat roads that need to be cleaned. The walls also need to be repaired in the Kijevo area near the Ćulum Cave.
In the area of Vrlika and Kijevo, there are four interesting wells / ponds, of which Krivodol near Ćulum’s Cave is on the state land and should be restored. There are also Čatrnja, Romića lokva – which was once the largest, and Mašeluša.
The potential of beekeeping
Beekeepers from the Vrlika area who are hobby beekeepers and are not dedicated to this work pose a problem to the beekeepers’ association because such a hobby approach increases the risk of disease occurrence and spread, as pointed out at the training workshop at the Cooperation Council in Vrlika. Beekeepers from the area of Vrlika and Kijevo participated, including the Beekeeping Society of Dinara Vrlika, which has 43 members and 2,200 hives. The beekeepers’ association has the biggest problem in honey production, while there are no difficulties with distribution.
Emphasis was placed on the project of mating queens and the construction of a station for mating queens in the naturally isolated site of Bračev dolac, which existed as a project 40 years ago. The need for product diversification was also emphasized – pollen, honey with additives, packaging and boxes, syrups and liqueurs, as well as an example of an innovative method of treatment in Skradin as well as in Slovenia – inhalation chambers with air from the hives. A proposal was made to connect local beekeepers with tourist guides, so that tourists could visit producers, for which it would be necessary to educate the tourism sector about bee products, producers and sales locations. On the Red Beams area (Crvene grede), there is a need for restoration that would be beneficial to beekeepers because juniper has taken over most of the lawn and prevents the development of sage, which reduces grazing for bees.
Beekeepers point out the great pressure on the existing water sources in the area, especially in the Crvene grede area. According to them, the area has exceptional potential due to indigenous medicinal plants such as white sage, honeysuckle and flour. As an idea for the further development of local beekeeping, they point out the honey road following the example of Slovenian colleagues. Various agricultural potentials of this area were also presented, such as the exploitation of the medicinal plant „štir“ and mushroom picking.
Ilirska gradina and Čubrice as possible tourist attractions
A major problem of the project area is the lack of capacity of tourist and mountaineering guides in the Dinara area, as pointed out at the workshop on tourism in Vrlika. However, the area has a huge tourist potential – the peak zone of the Dinara, Troglav and Kamešnica mountains is an exceptional mountaineering and tourist potential as the highest mountain range in Croatia and the preserved nature of karst and mountain meadows. For these needs, there are currently hiking trails and mountain houses and shelters. The lower zone of these mountains also abounds in possibilities – the abandoned village of Čubrice east of Ježević hides the remains of abandoned houses. Even further in the past, an Illyrian hillfort hid on Kosorska Glavica above the Dubin spring. An interesting tourist location is the isolated Bračev Dolac, which is currently reached by a bad road.
Sinj aqua
The wells on Vrdovo have been renovated, but in the Sinj area there are a number of locations where there is a possibility to retain water. One of them is the Goveđa kosa well above Baćev dolac, which is in the recent plan of the GSS, mountaineers and firefighters for cleaning and landscaping. The long-known Marin well (Marin bunar) above Crvene grede, to which the hiking trail leads, also needs to be cleaned, as well as Marun well, a pond in Vučipolje used by local cattle breeders. There are wells, of course, elsewhere, and one of them is Čatrnja on Kamešnica between Gljevo and Glavaš, next to which also passes an attractive circular hiking trail. From the trails and dry stone walls, from Rakanovac in Vučipolje to Vrdovo, there are two goat trails that need to be cleaned, and in cooperation with mountaineers they could be cleaned and marked. Dry stone wall towards the mountain house st. Jakov has been recognized as a potential for reconstruction, while in Domjanovići there are dry stone walls along the goat paths that have collapsed and need to be restored to their original condition.
The people of Sinj want to know more
The workshop on educational potentials recognized the need to educate the general population about the natural values of the local area because apart from mountaineering schools there are not many opportunities for the local population to get acquainted with the values of nature and thus motivate and make them more committed to its preservation.
The possibility of implementing educational content among the adult population from this area was especially emphasized, especially education on medicinal herbs and their use, and on the use of plants in cosmetics. The need for education to focus on the local environment has been recognized, ie to present to the public what is important or what is protected in the local area. The importance of educating children of the kindergarten age, as the most desirable age for the adoption of awareness of nature conservation, was recognized. As an example of good practice, a kindergarten in the forest is mentioned, ie a program for kindergartens in which children are either taken out into nature or content found in nature, such as plants, fruits, etc., is brought and presented to them.
In the field of livestock, beekeeping and rural development, the participants in the discussion agree that local producers do not use the full potential, and that they are not aware of the interest that exists in the local area and products. It was therefore suggested that through trainings local producers be presented with the overall content that motivates people to come, data on the number of these visitors, and examples of good practice in how in other family farms producers place their products to visitors. On the other hand, even visitors do not have the clearest idea of the offer that exists, because they have nowhere to find information. It was also assumed that it would be useful for local producers to organize education on what the Dinara Nature Park brings for them.
School of nature
The educational grassland trail, which would teach about project species of grasslands and birds, as well as other flora and fauna of the Dinara, was the main topic of discussion of the workshop on tourism at the Collaborative Council. As the greatest potential, a path “emerged” that would go through Vrdovo, from the east side, below Kodžoman’s umac from the end of the asphalt road to Vrdovo to the mountain house of St. Jakov in the northwest of Vrdovo and then back, but with another variant over Vrdovo to visit several points, therefore – a circular path. The trail is suitable for hikers because it is easy since there are no climbs, and the habitat is of project types, and controlled ignition was also carried out in the area. An addition to this trail would be the trail Vučipolje – St. Jakov mountian house, which is more of a trail for hikers because it is an ascent with a height difference of 600 meters. Another possibility is a trail that would include Donja Korita and Gornja Korita on Kamešnica. The third proposal of the trail is the west of the Dinara, from Marko’s grave to Brezovac, interesting as a grassland habitat. It is necessary to determine the target group for this content in advance so that the trail would not be without visitors. Travel agencies will express their interest in the trail, while tourist and mountain guides will express their interest in coming to Biom’s educational workshop.
Check out the map including all the above mentioned sites below:
The reconstruction of six selected wells on the Vrdovo plateau has been completed, one of the project activities of the Dinara back to LIFE project, which aims to reverse the natural trend of succession and extinction in the direction of biodiversity and self-sustainability. These wells are 100-200 years old, but half a century ago, due to mass emigration in several waves, they were used scarcely or not at all, so they became dangerous and a mockery. With their restoration, this masterpiece of construction by hardworking people from Podinarje will again be a source of life for animals and people.
Out of hundreds of wells in the project area, 20 were shortlisted for reconstruction, selected with the help of Damir Jukić Bračulj, an employee of Hrvatske šume whose family lives in this area and knows the locations of the wells. Out of the 20 shortlisted the final six were selected, located on the state land, distributed over a large area of Vrdovo and at its foot, and which fit into the financial construction of the project. Reconstruction work, ie restoring the well to its original condition with minor modifications, began in late April in difficult weather conditions because temperatures at 900 meters above sea level at Vrdovo dropped to zero, and rain in the area prevented earthworks.
Lovrića well, the first one to be renovated
By the end of the work, which lasted until the end of June, this area became extremely hot due to the karst and lack of shade. 2 to 6 workers were hired for the jobs at the time, depending on the needs of the job, and machinery was used for the most physically difficult jobs. The last restored well Venišica was also the most special – it is the largest, the only one not on Vrdovo, but at its foot, above Rumin. The works on Venišica were the most complex and it is the only well that has a vein from which water constantly springs, ie it is a “living” well that fills up very quickly. A ramp was made for easier access to this well.
Venišica before……and after
However, there were big jobs with other wells as well – Lovrić’s well was buried with dirt and stones up to 1.5 meters, and it was deepened to a depth of seven meters. Bulović’s well was completely collapsed and buried, and it was also deepened and reconstructed with elements weighing several hundred kilograms, in the lowering of which the machinery helped, during which we could remember the skilled and ingenious builders from a century or two ago who built these wells first, without having today’s machines. The monetary value of the renovation of these wells – because their benefit for life as such is immeasurable – is 167.000 kuna, made by the skilled hands of Antonio Jurić and his masters.
Restoration of Bulovića well
After a short rainy period, the wells were full, but as the drought approaches, the wells will be emptied – except probably Venišica which has a constant inflow of water – by the first rains after Assumption, but the process was reversed, water was “caught” and life on this dry area got its basic element. “Karst water means everything” – says Zoran Šunjić from Hrvatske vode, the client and partner in the project. In this karst area, explains the forestry expert at Dinara back to LIFE, water falls through the soil into deeper layers, which is why wells were built that were neglected over time and now need to be restored because their restoration means a return to life. The specificity of this karst terrain is that at certain depths of the soil – 5 to 10 meters – there is loam, clay soil, “gnjila” as people call it in this area. The rain that falls through the karst in the upper soil layers slides horizontally on this loam, until it reaches the well into which it flows and remains in them.
Todića wellTwo of three Todića wells have been restored, the third is waiting for restoration
The first ones we remember when we think about the purpose of rebuilding wells are cattle breeders, or their “treasure” of which there are hundreds in this area. However, wells are at least equally important for bees that would collapse on the Vrdova karst from drought and heat, and they are the key – as we have heard many times in recent years – for pollen distribution, ie for pollination, ie for biodiversity. With this renovation, Vrdovo has become a small paradise for them!
Džudželića well
The days of extensive livestock production are over and we will not see the return of that number of cattle from about 100 years ago, but new needs are emerging. Hiking and adventure tourism are becoming increasingly popular and renovated wells can be a (reserve) source of water, as well as a tourist attraction, and can also serve hunters for their needs. Water can also be a gathering place – in Kaoci, on the northern slopes of the Biokovo Nature Park, where three wells have also been renovated and three improvised summer houses have been set up, actor Vedran Mlikota holds performances every summer. It is no wonder that Hrvatske šume (Croatian Forests company), after the restoration on Vrdovo, receives daily inquiries about the renovation of other wells, of which there are hundreds in the project area, and thousands throughout Dalmatia. The possibility of life, therefore, is here, it just needs a helping hand to return!
Representatives of Hrvatske šume and the reconstruction company at the Todića wellLovrića wellRašeljka bush covering a wellDžudželića wellTodića well
The first meetings of the Cooperation Council were held in Vrlika and Sinj last week, at which representatives of cattle breeders, hunters, beekeepers, tourist workers, representatives of local self-government and mountaineering associations received basic information about the Dinara back to LIFE project and enriched it with ideas. As part of the meetings, a thematic exhibition ‘Return to nature – Dinara back to LIFE’ was held, which featured 15 photographs and thoughts of the population living near the area about what Dinara means to them.
Zdravko Budimir
At the first meeting, on June 14, with hospitable hosts from the restaurant Ero in Vrlika, there were about 20 participants, cattle breeders from the wider area of Ježević, representatives of the tourist boards from Knin and Vrlika, beekeepers from the Vrlika area, representatives of mountaineering associations and small tourist renters.
30,000 euros for livestock and equipment are waiting for cattle breeders
The coordinator of the implementation of the Dinara back to LIFE project, Zdravko Budimir, presented the project from its beginnings in 2017, when the writing of the project text, the elements of the project and its goals began. Expert associate for nature protection Ivana Selanec focused on project activities that could benefit stakeholders, such as habitat restoration, dry stone walls and lawns.
Cattle breeders and tourist board representative
By working in small groups at the Council, the guests presented their proposals, and a large group of cattle breeders, mostly from the Vrlika area, expressed interest in cleaning dry stone walls and renovating watering places and wells, as envisaged by the Dinara back to LIFE project. Cattle breeders stressed that today it is difficult to go high on the mountain because there is a lack of roads, so cattle breeders will choose the paths that they believe should be restored, and project partners will participate in the organization of restoration actions. The project envisages a cost of 30,000 euros to support and encourage the purchase of livestock and other equipment to be carried out in the coming months, and cattle breeders are particularly interested in the purchase of donkeys, but it is stated that it is difficult to procure one young monkey, let alone more.
An educational habitat trail is looking for its place
As part of the Dinara back to LIFE project, an educational trail for observing habitats, plants and birds will be established in the project area, which was discussed at the workshop on tourism at the meeting of the Cooperation Council, where the inclusion of “wildwatching” and “birdwatching” was discussed. BIOM will offer education to tourist guides related to the identification of birds, different habitat types, recognition of plant species, grassland habitats and the like. As the biggest obstacle, the representatives of the Tourist Boards of Knin and Vrlika stated the lack of capacity of tourist and mountaineering guides in the area of Dinara. This educational trail will be equipped with QR codes through which hikers and mountaineers will receive additional information about grasslands that are protected by this project, about interesting plants that inhabit the area and about the birds that nest there – garden bunting, cuckoo and short-toed woodpecker. The restoration of their habitats is also the intended goal of the project. The trail will also be digitized and as such will be available online.
Planing of educational birdwatching trail
One of the workshop participants mentioned the abandoned village of Čubrice east of Ježević, where the remains of houses are still visible. The representative of HPD Zolj from Kiev also mentioned the location of the Illyrian hillfort on Kosorska Glavica above the Dubin spring. The problem of a bad road towards Bračev Dolac was also mentioned, which as a location is important for beekeepers and mountaineers, and could become an interesting tourist location. These unused tourist facilities have the potential to expand the tourist offer and interesting content for the tourist community to develop.
How does climate impact Dinara?
The meeting was also attended by a young German filmmaker Manuel Inicker who is shooting a documentary on the impact of climate change on nature in general, which he will present with a film that he will begin shooting on the Dinara from which he will descend to the source of the Krka and all the way to the seaside, documenting changes that occur due to climate disturbances.
At the training workshop, experienced beekeepers offered their help and knowledge to potential colleagues in developing their business. The need for a tourist tour that would include the locations of beekeepers and livestock, and an example of a good burst from Slovenia was mentioned where a specific segment of health tourism – inhalation rooms where the treatment of beeswax smoke is used to treat respiratory diseases. It was also suggested that hobby beekeepers should be encouraged to associate to avoid the problem of disease and uncontrolled bee grazing.
Winter controlled ignition for greater biodiversity
At the Collaborative Council at the Alkar Hotel in Sinj, about 30 participants began the conversation about the sensitive issue of fire and controlled ignition. Expert advisor for nature Ivan Budinski explained that winter controlled burning actually promotes biodiversity, and the forest is not endangered because it is humid and does not burn at this time of year, while summer fires are mostly unnatural, ie most often caused by human hands and leave immeasurably greater damage. It is exactly winter ignition that prevents the spreading of summer fires.
Ivan Budinski, nature preservation councelor
The representative of LU Hrvaca suggested the use of water from Peruča to extinguish wildfire and to break through the fire roads on the Dinara, which is a proposal that the local community should consider. When asked about pine afforestation, the representative of Hrvatske šume explained that it is afforested with this species because it is autochthonous, but added that the intensity of afforestation will be greatly reduced. The problem of the mined area northwest of Vučipolje was also mentioned.
Hunters and mountaineers are already working, Biom will help
At the workshop on restoration, mountaineers and hunters stated the need to restore the dry stone walls, which was envisaged by the project, emphasizing that the dry stone walls are being restored. Hikers and hunters described their trail maintenance activities so far, garbage cleaning, including pit cleaning, and well cleaning. Biom offered its help in these activities with manpower and tools, and an appeal was made that activists consult with Biom experts on the timing of cleaning the pits so as not to disturb the birds while they are nesting there. The problem of pollution of puddles with carcasses is mentioned, which will be solved by setting photo-traps, in which the project partners will also help.
Ivana Selanec
At the workshop on trainings, the incentive for the establishment of family farms was presented, about which trainings for those interested can be organized as part of the project. Since this area has recently been declared a nature park, increased arrivals of hikers and mountaineers are expected, and since family farm owners do not have information on the number of tourists coming, they will be informed about the numbers of people visiting the area and the interest of visitors will be determined. .
We will have trails – guides are required
The workshop on tourism was focused on the grassland watching trail and its potentials, as well as possible locations, and on education related to this new tourist content. Namely, as part of the Dinara back to LIFE project, educational workshops on grasslands, plants and birds will be organized for tourist and mountaineering guides, and the tourist community will communicate with those interested in participating in this training in the coming months. Possible locations for this trail are listed. One possibility is the trail across Vrdove plain from its eastern to western edge, which is a habitat for project species and this area is easily accessible by vehicles, and, given that it is a plateau, the trail would be minimally demanding in terms of fitness. Another possibility is the existing hiking trail from Vučipolje to the mountain house of St. Jakov, and another one is the area between the Gornja Korita and Donja Korita areas on Kamešnica. As part of the project, one trail will be formed, and this experience will lay the foundations for tourist boards to set up similar trails in other locations.
The meeting of the Council in the beautiful ambience of Hotel Alkar ended with a review of the exhibition ‘Return of Nature’ and informal socializing of those present who expressed satisfaction with the audience and support plans, in which they will participate, to which all others are invited.
The first meetings of the Dinara back to LIFE Collaborative Council will be held in Vrlika and Sinj at the beginning of next week, to which we invite all interested citizens, as well as representatives of associations, societies and institutions who want to get acquainted with the project and who wish to take part in it. The meeting in Vrlika will be held on Monday, June 14, at the Ero restaurant from 6 to 8 pm, while the meeting in Sinj is a day later, on Tuesday, June 15, at the Alkar Hotel (6 to 8 pm).
By establishing Collaborative Councils and holding meetings, our objective is to gather associates and others interested in the topic of the project and provide them with the opportunity to get involved in the project, monitor its implementation, and enrich and add value to project activities.
“Dinara back to LIFE” is a project aimed at the restoration of Dinaric grasslands due to their importance for nature and overall biodiversity, and all interested in the area and topics of the project are invited to the Collaborative Council – representatives of hunters, beekeepers, ranchers, mountaineering associations tourist workers, family farm owners, as well as all other interested public. Council meetings are open to all!
At the meetings, we will also present a traveling thematic exhibition of photographs “Return to nature – Dinara back to LIFE”, inspired by people from the project area and their words. Namely, in May and June 2020, the representatives of the Dinara back to LIFE project collected public attitudes and opinions about the Dinara mountain and its values that are important to people. Through the selection of 15 comments and suitable photos, the common values that Dinara provides to everyone are summarized, and each of the selected comments is related to an individual photo. The aim of the exhibition is to emphasize how important the Dinara is for nature and for people, and to point out the role of all of us in preserving its natural wealth.
