Thursday 23 December 2010

poems for the forests

Murmur of the Forest

On the pond bright sparks are falling,
Wavelets in the sunlight glisten;
Gazing from the woods with rapture,
Do I let my spirit capture
Drowsiness, and lie and listen...
Quails are calling.

All the silent water sleeping
Of the streams and of the rivers;
Only where the sun is shining
Thousand circles there designing
As with fright its surface shivers,
Swiftly leaping.

Pipe the birds midst woods concealing,
Which of us their language guessing?
Birds of endless kinds and races
Chirp amidst its leafy places
And what wisdom they expressing
And what feeling.

Asks the cuckoo: "Who has seen
Our belovèd summer idol,
Beautiful beyond all praising
Through her languid lashes gazing,
Our most lovely, tender, bridal,
Forest queen?"

Bends the lime with gentle care
Her sweet body to embower;
In the breeze his branches singing
Lift her in their arms upswinging,
While a hundred blossoms shower
On her hair.

Asks the brooklet as it flows
"Where has gone my lovely lady?
She, who evening hour beguiling,
In my silver surface smiling,
Broke its mirror deep and shady
With her toes?"

I replied: "O forest, she
Comes no more, no more returning !
Only you, great oaks, still dreaming
Violet eyes, like flowers gleaming,
That the summer through were yearning
Just for me."

Happy then, alone we twain,
Through the forest brush-wood striding !
Sweet enchanted tale of wonder
That the darkness broke asunder...
Dear, wherever you'd be hiding,
Come again !


Why do you wail o forest trees ...

"Why do you wail o forest trees,
Forest, without rain or breeze,
Your branches ill at ease ?"

"How indeed should I not wail
When the hours of summer fail !
Nights grow longer, days get short,
On my branches few leaves caught,
And the winds with bitter sword
Drive my choristers abroad;
Autumn winds that forests flay,
Winter near, spring far away.
How indeed should I not groan
When my singing birds have flown,
And across the frozen sky
Flocks of swallows hurry by,
And with them my fancies fly
Leaving me alone to sigh;
Hurly on as time in flight
Turning day half into night,
Time that o'er the forest rings
With a fluttering of wings...
And they pass and leave me cold,
Nude and shivering and old;
For my thoughts with them have flown,
And with them my gladness gone !"

Return

"Forest, trusted friend and true,
Forest dear, how do you do?
Since the day I saw you last
Many, many years have passed
And though you still steadfast stand
I have travelled many a land."

"Yea, and I, what have I done?
Watched the years their seasons run;
Heard the squalls that through me groan
Ere my singing birds have flown;
Heard the creaking of my boughs
Neath the mounted winter snows.
Yea indeed, what have I done?
Done as I have always done;
Felt my summer leaves re-growing,
Heard the village girls who going
By the path that meets the spring
Melancholy doina sing."

"Forest, though the tempests blow,
The years come and the years go,
And the seasons wax and wane,
You are ever young again."

"What of seasons, when for ages
All the sky my lake engages;
What of years ill or good,
When the sap mounts in the wood;
What of years good or ill,
When the Danube rolls on still.
Only man is always changing,
O'er the world forever ranging;
We each do our place retain,
As we were, so we remain;
Oceans, rivers, mountains high
And the stars that light the sky,
Saturn with its whirling rings,
And the forest with its springs."

Forests in Dragoiesti area, Suceava
















Most of the forests surrounding Dragoiesti village, located in the Suceava County, are mixed resinuous and deciduous forests. However, the spruce fir cover important areas. Some of the most frequent wood species are: Picea abies (spruce fir), Abies alba (fir tree), Fagus silvatica (beech), Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore maple), Betula verrucosa (bitch). There are also: Pinus silvestris (pine), Larix decidua (larch tree), Ulmus Montana (elm), Salix caprea (goat willow), Alnus viridis (green alter).
Man's interference in the natural landscape was quite rational in time and it hasn't totally changed the natural balance. Today, this balance is in danger of being changed because of the improper forest operation. That is why we need severe ecological measures to protect the forests. The existing clearings, hayfields or grazing fields for cattle have a diverse flora with numerous plants that are usually used in alternative medicine such as: Arnica Montana (Arnica), Achillea millefolium (milfoil), Origanum vulgaris (common marjoram), Pulmonaria officinalis (lungwort), Veronica officinalis (speedwell), Lycopodium clavatum (wolf's claw), etc.
During the vegetation season, there are numerous species of esculent mushrooms, soem of them very popular: edible boletus, yellow agaric, orange agaric, honey agaric.
Beech forests shield over 100 bird species including the green woodpecker, ring dove, grey owl and jay.

Wednesday 22 December 2010


Working our way up mountain 'Mainalo' at about 1800 meters...










Our students at the shelter of the Greek Climbing Club...











Abies Cephalonica...Elato, as we call it, this particular spieces can be seen only in Greece...











The highest peak of mount Mainalo, Ostrakina, 1980 meters...











Ski center (no snow though!) and a general view of the south side of Mainalo...











Seasons greetings, merry Christmas to all of you!!!...

Tuesday 21 December 2010

Protected areas –Bistrita Rodna Mountains


With a surface of 47,000 ha, Rodna Mountains National Park includes the highest peaks of Eastern Carpathians (Pietrosu Mare Peak, 2303 m) and one of the oldest natural reservations in our country (Pietrosu Mare, 1932), known as Biosphere Reservation. The importance of this National Park is due both to the geology of the massif and to the diversity of flora and fauna species, some of them very rare and others found only on this massif.



The forest ecosystems have a very high dendrochronological potential, the building of dendrochronological series for the main forest, by ecological areas, being a premise of a better knowledge on the dynamics of environment factors and implicitly of the complex biological system, the forests. Tree growing in an area with seasonal variations of climate (winter-summer alternation or the humid season-dry season) is characterized by a single growth per vegetation period, namely the growth ring. The growth ring varies from one year to another (in the case of annual variation of the climate ) or from one vegetation period (season) to another ( in the case when the seasonal variation of climate is longer or shorter than a year, as far as both its width and its structure and density of wood are concerned. The annual tree ring constituted an archive a real database, regarding the secular and multi-secular variation of the environment factors at both global and mezzo-and micro scale levels .



Saturday 18 December 2010

The Hürriyet Primary School's Forest


 The forest that We want to present  is Sığla (SweetGum Tree) Forest ;It is endemic flora of Dalaman and It is protected in this region. .Sığla oil is used in cosmetic,perfume ,soap.Sığla trees blossom in spring,In transition periods from one season to another ,It leaves please the eyes with bright colours.Sığla covered with leaves of different colours from yellow to green and then  red spread healing to humanity with its tears.

The Forests of Romania

The forests of Romania cover more than 25% of the country surface.The conifer forests are scattered with birches and and maples in low area.Transylvanian plateau is covered with forests of oaks and beech trees.Large forests of oaks could also found in Dobrogea,in west plain and north side of Romanian plain.Here appear lots of deers,foxes,bears,squirrels,falcons and owls.















Forests, which in ancient times and in middle age cover almost whole surface of Romania(except south-west),gave way gradually for agricultural lands.In these days the forests occupy 26.2% (6.366.000 ha) from the country surface,consisting in beech forests (about 2 millions ha),oaks(1.1 milions ha),conifers forests (1.9 milions ha).

There are also other species of forests like hornbeam,poplar,lime.Alpine passes cover extended areas at altitudes who are beyond 1.800 m and are used for growing sheep. Beyond 400.000 ha(6.3% from total surface) are clearly affected (became arid) by pollution with sulfur compounds or with else compounds from industrial emissions.

The Carpathian Mountains are a mountain chain, belonging to the great mountain central system of Europe. The Carpathian Mountains are situated between Vienna Basin (which separates it from alpine chain) and lane of Timok (which separates it from Satara Planina, in Balcanic Peninsula) from an arc with a length of 1500 km and a maximum width of 130 km, unfolding on 6° latitude and about 10° longitude. The Carpathian Mountains lye on the territory of seven countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania and Serbia. The Carpathian Mountains are middle mountains, only few sectors exceeding 2000 m altitude.

The discoveries made from the archaeological researches in the area Ferigile, next to Horezu revealed archaeological testimonials from centuries IX an XIII considering the location of humans settlements. The development of Horezu settlements is related to transhumance routes,from the roads of outlaws, which crossed the area.
The village, today the city of Horezu is attested in the hristory belonging to the ruler Vlad Calugarul from year 1478, which commemorated the village Horezu.













Friday 17 December 2010

Doga College Forest







We have a wonderful forest as Doga College. We went there and took some photos with my students. We had a great time during that time as well. That forest is so large and has steep hillsides and it is very green. Meanwhile it has a little river in the forest.

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Buskett - Malta


Buskett, in Rabat, Malta is the only woodland area in Malta and is overlooked by Verdala Palace.


The Buskett Gardens are located in the fertile valley of Wied Il- Luq. They are located to the south of Rabat and just east of Dingli. The gardens are at their best in the spring but they offer shade from the harsh mid-summer sun and offer a quiet place for a walk in the winter months. Verdala Palace, an official residence of the President of Malta, is located on the edge of the Gardens.


Many different trees and shrubs grow in the gardens but there are also many fruit-bearing trees there as well. This is one of the greenest areas in Malta. Indigenous forests once covered Malta, but trees were cut down for shipbuilding in the era when galleons plied the Mediterranean waters and for agricultural purposes. Perhaps the Buskett Gardens offer a glimpse of what Malta looked like in those days.
The gardens are very popular with Maltese people. People often visit the gardens to go for walks in the peaceful settings of the garden and to enjoy a picnic in the shade of the trees, or to work in woodland area. The gardens are also the site of the popular feast of Imnarja (the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul) which is celebrated on June 29. Hundreds of people flock to the gardens the night before the 29th to eat the traditional Maltese dish of Rabbit Stew cooked in wine and to listen to traditional folk music and singing and then in the morning there is the annual agricultural show.


Buskett Garden is Malta's only large area of woodland. It was planted by the Knights Hospitaller as a hunting ground. It lies next to Verdala Palace, in a valley, just inland from Dingli Cliffs. Buskett has vineyards, oranges, olive and lemon groves, and is heavily wooded with native, hardy species such as Mediterranean pines. You can stick to the pathways lined with ivy-clad stone walls or venture off into the woodland. From autumn to spring you are bound to find plenty of interest, from wild flowers, natural springs, and woodland creatures. The wood leads up hill to the more formal gardens of Verdala Palace.



Verdala
Panoplies of foliage spread their shade over the valley floor, providing a welcome respite against the heat of summer. There are orange and cypress trees, irregular cactuses, leguminous carobs, aromatic firs and the Judas tree, which foretells Easter with its pink blossom.
The Verdala Palace is perched on a hilltop overlooking Buskett Garden. It was built by Grand Master Hughes de Verdalle in 1588 as a summer residence. Following restoration, this elegant building now serves as the President's summer residence. The palace is not open to the public, but it does offer a notable landmark visible clearly from Dingli Cliffs, towering as it does over Buskett woodland.

Puszcza Kampinoska - KAMPINOS FOREST

 
Fot.  R.M.Kosińscy

 
Kampinos Forest  

is a large forest complex located to the west of Warsaw in Poland. It covers a large part of the ancient valley of Vistula river. Once a gigantic forest covering 670 km² of central Poland, now it covers roughly 240 km².

Most of the Kampinos Forest is the Kampinos National Park. Among the distinctive features of the area is a combination of sandy dunes and marshes, with dense pine and spruce forest. In January 2000 the area was added to UNESCO's List of Biosphere Reserves.



 

Tuesday 14 December 2010

A NICE WALK IN FRAGAS DO EUME FOREST. IES AS TELLEIRAS (NARÓN, SPAIN)

The Forest that we present you is "A Fraga"
Fragas do Eume is a very humid forest and has a lot of different species. Specially it stands out by its ferns. We propouse you a search in Google Earth: looking for Pontedeume in A Coruña (Galicia). If you remontains the river you will arrive at the Natural Park. Good luck.

Monday 13 December 2010

PINHAL DE LEIRIA - PORTUGAL



"Catedral verde e sussurrante, aonde
a luz se ameiga e se esconde
e aonde ecoando a cantar
se alonga e se prolonga a longa voz do mar,
ditoso o Lavrador que a seu contento
por suas mãos semeou este jardim;
ditoso o Poeta que lançou ao vento
esta canção sem fim…

Ai flores, ao flores do Pinhal florido,
que vedes no mar?
Ai flores, ai flores do Pinhal florido,
Rei Dom Dinis, bom poeta e mau marido,
lá vem as velidas bailar e cantar."


Afonso Lopes Vieira is the author of this nice poetry referring our selected forest.
(on comments you can read a translation)

"Pinhal de Leiria" means "Leiria's Pine wood". As the poet says it is close to the Sea, on a very pretty place! On next months we will show some more about our land and our forest.

By now we leave you with a sunset view (S. Pedro's beach) over Atlantic Ocean!…

Monday 6 December 2010

KIZILBAG PRIMARY SCHOOL(MERSIN,TURKEY)

       Kızılbag Primary School is a village school,35km from the city centre. From different villages and Kızılbag, there are about 240 pupils. In primary school,there are 8 grades. The classes are from 8-40 to 14.20.
At 4-8,pupils  have English class.
Our school doesn’t have enough technological devices,but we,all, deal with being better.
Thanks to many diffferent fruit tress(cherry,peach,pear,kiwi,grapes,walnut…) and forest trees, our school and around are very rich and coherence with the Project “IYF”. However, because of winter,we haven’t any cherry,peach trees… fotos at the momentJ
       We, teachers live in city centre,Mersin not in Kızılbag. Every day we go to school with special cars or village buses. The good thing is travelling along road with forest. Kızılbag and its road are really rich with different styles of trees. Whenever you would like to visit, We will be gladJJJ