📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Dzūkija National Park is the largest protected area in Lithuania. It is rich in rivers, rivulets and springs. At the same time it is one of the most forested protected areas in Lithuania. Most of its territory is covered by pinewoods connecting Lithuania, Poland and Belarus. The park encompasses a unique cultural landscape: a mosaic of natural and man-created forests, meadows and ancient villages with traditional wooden architecture.
Čepkeliai reserve is the largest swamp (5858 ha) not only in Lithuania but one of the largest in Central and Western Europe too. Wolves and lynx, black grouse and capercaillie, Cypripedium and Eastern pasque-flower are only a small part of more than 4,000 species found in this region.
💼 What the programme involves
This project is designed to implement nature restoration activities in the territory of the park:
• Creating the grouse mating fields in heathlands neat Musteika village;
• Maintenance of Skerdzimai meadow in Kapinikiai Landscape Reserve;
• Creating suitable conditions for protected water birds species in two islands of Nemunas river nearby Merkinė;
• Clearing open sandy dunes in Čepkeliai Nature Reserve from sprouts;
• Maintenance of rare plant collection territory in Likiava village;
• Renewing marking and infrastructure of touristic trails in National Park, especially trail of traditional beekeeping nearby Musteika village.;
• Cleaning of campsites, belonging to Dzukija National Park from garbage;
• Maintenance of two cemeteries of the World War I soldiers’ adjacent to Merkinė town;
Almost all nature restoration activities are related to keeping and maintaining open habitats of meadows and sands, mainly by cutting of sprouts or young trees and transporting them from habitats.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Volunteers will live in a house belonging to the park’s directorate in Dareliai village, 7 km from Marcinkonys village (the meeting point). Grūda River suitable for swimming flows nearby. Volunteers will sleep in a barn on double decker beds. Volunteers need to bring their own sleeping bags. There is a shower with hot water, washing basins, WC, food cooker and fridge. Volunteers will cook for themselves, products will be provided.
📍 About the location
LEISURE TIME: During their free time volunteers will be able to travel to Musteika village, to visit the bee-keeping museum and the educational trail. Marcinkonys village offers the ethnographical exposition, the beautiful hiking path of Zackagiris. Near Dareliai there is the famous Margionys village with the origins of Skroblus creek. Volunteers will be able to rent bicycles and travel along marked bike trails or rent canoes to navigate Grūda or Ūla rivers.
LOCATION: Marcinkonys - the largest village in Lithuania by territory (143 ha) is 100 km away from the capital city Vilnius. Marcinkonys started as a forest scouts’ camping place back in 1637. Around 650 people live here today. Marcinkonys hosts one of Dzūkija National Park’s visitor centers.
Dareliai village - there the volunteers will be accommodated, is 7 km away.