VILNIAUS COLLEGE
BUIVYDISKES AGRICULTURAL STUDIES CENTRE
FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
1st year student of accountancy department
LITHUANIAN NATURAL
Lecturer: Greta Pažėraitė
2004 Vilnius
Introduction
Some are green, some black, some blue. Some fly with one pair of wings other with more; those that cannot either fly or leap, they walk; some have longer shanks, some shorter. Some there are that sing, other are silent. And as there are many kinds of them in nature so their names were almost infinite…
Green all over- that’s a bird eye wee of Lithuania. A third of the country is covered with green carpet of forest occupying an area of almost two million hectares; other fifth is resplendent with meadows of summer blossoms. At present, approximately 1500 species of higher plants, some 250 species of fungi grow in Lithuania. Nearly 300 endangered plant species have been includes in the Red Book and have been declared to be in need of protection. Lithuania has taken of responsibility of carrying for its nature not only for it self, but also for all of humanity.
The largest and strongest plants are recorded in Lithuania Book of Records. The tree with largest number of trunks-fifteen is a linden growing in Papilla; in the Akmene District. The country’s thickest and oldest tree is the oak of Stelmuze in the Zarasai District. Nobody knows its age for certain however, foresters maintain the giant to be more than a thousand year old. Eight man find it hard to link their hand’s around the 13,5 meter circumference. Of this meter tall oak. The part of Lithuania known as a Dzukija. The dense forest of Druskininkai and Varena some times referred to as Dainavos or Gudu wood, are the largest in area, covering some 1500 square kilometers. The forest of Dzukija has been famous for their natures bounty since olden times. Not only Lithuanians are fond of the mushrooms and berries of these ecologically clean forests. They’re gathered, processed and sold to gourmands abroad.
For those not interested in the palate, there is a different kind of paradise in Dzukija. It is for romantics and lovers of nature, and one gut’s there along earthly roads rather than thought heaven gate. The Cepkeliai Reserve, Lithuanian’s largest, covering an area over 100 square kilometers. Charms the visitor with it’s serenity and it’s own rhythm of life giving the impression that time has stopped – Enormous marshes- with rare plant’s are protected in this nature reserve. Towards autumn, the ground is decorated with red cranberry beads, daring the reckless to walk along the deceptively hard carpet.
A patient hiker in the Cepkeliai Marsh can count more than twenty ponds that are almost completely overgrown with vegetation. Some of these were formed thousand of years ago when the glacier receded.
The Ornithological Zuvintas Reserve, the oldest in Lithuania, is close neighbor of Cepkeliai Marsh. Zuvintas is in Alytus District with an area of some 50 square kilometers. Rare birds nest here, uncommon plant species thrive and Zuvintas, the largest marsh in Lithuania, heaves beneath your feet.
Those not fond of marshes are invited to romantic Eastern Lithuania with its shining blue eyes of lakes. The national park of Aukstaitija (Lithuanian highlands) it is pride and joy. Two thirds of the parks are covered with picturesque forests in witch over seventy species of rare plants have taken root. A celebrity of the national park, a real Tarzan figure, has built himself a strange abode under tall trees and among beautiful lakes. This middle-aged artist with a style of his own has long ago given up urban conveniences in exchange for the pleasures of nature. He lives in the National park from spring till fall and cannot fight of his many visitors. People like to take a closer look his Tarzan’s way of life and to discuss his unusual daily routine.