Bio-diversity

The village of Musteika in Dzukija National Park has retained a community way of life, with its own traditions, and archaic trades and artisan crafts. Village beekeepers raise bees native to the region, and continue to foster this fast disappearing trade. Surviving in the area surrounding Musteika are quite a number of beehives in hollow pine trees, which are now considered natural monuments. This type of beekeeping is impossible without natural fields, heather, and black alder groves, of which there is no shortage in the area around Musteika. The development of alternative and ecological land management is important not only to this area. Beekeeping in southern Lithuania is a centuries old tradition. Europe has long forgotten hollow tree beekeeping, but the area around Musteika village still contains a fair number of hollowed out pine trees, and there are still people here who raise bees in the old way. This is an invaluable cultural legacy, and its preservation has global significance. The aim of the project is to preserve traditional beekeeping in Dzukija National Park, to stop the degradation of the natural fields along the Musteika Stream, and to develop an environment for eco-tourism, as well as favorable conditions for fostering traditional trades and crafts. The following tasks are included in carrying out this plan: to establish a beekeeping museum and apiary with 25 types of traditional hives; to construct 5 km length educational path through the area of the hollow tree hives (10 new tree-hives will be done); to clear and manage surroundings of these hives/natural monuments; reviving the 2 ha of natural grasslands along the Musteika Stream. A number of educational publications and articles as well as 20 min. videofilm about traditional beekeeping will be produced as well as educational seminar will be organized. The local community will assist in gathering museum exhibits, setting up various types of hives, and hollowing out pine trees according to the ancient traditions. The people will also clear the bushes out of the upper reaches of the Musteika Stream, in order to preserve the natural meadows and maintain a clear water flow. Children from the surrounding villages, who attend primary and secondary schools in Marcinkonys and Var na, will take part in some activities of the project. Project partners include the management of Dzukija National Park, NGO "Natural Heritage Foundation", Druskininkai State Forestry, Marcinkonys neighborhood, ecological club Eurika at the Varena "Azuolas" secondary school, and schoolchildren from the Marcinkonys primary school.

Lithuania