Arborist works were performed in the parks of Antalieptė and Kamariškės manors

Historical parks attract visitors not only with cultural heritage, but also with water bodies, greenery and greenery created by professional landscape architects or gardeners who were still in the heyday of manors or monasteries with impressive trees and ancestors that have reached our times. Not all harmoniously designed greenery at that time, as well as buildings or their complexes, survived. Many of them have changed drastically or even disappeared during the course of history, some have been lucky, so today we can see, feel, touch them by visiting the historical parks ... Some of the most impressive old green relic parks times. In order for the old trees of the parks to delight visitors for more than a decade or even a century, it is important to take proper care of them and their environment in a timely manner. This is important not only for the safety of park visitors, but also for the longevity or even survival of the trees themselves, the protection of biodiversity and the performance of ecosystem services provided by other trees.

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In 2020, the implementers of the Interreg program project “LLI-476 Save Past for the Future” in Lithuania - experts of the Wetlands Restoration and Protection Fund - carried out the parks of Antalieptė Monastery, Kamariškės Manor and Zarasai Lake Island in Zarasai District.  inventory of ancient trees valuable for the protection of biological diversity and provided recommendations for the improvement of the condition of trees that have reached natural maturity and the arrangement of their habitats, adaptation of the territories for the needs of society and nature protection. Tree crown management (reductive pruning, crown reinforcement with dynamic rope, etc.) and wound healing aim to improve the sanitary condition of trees and preserve rare species of sponge mushrooms, leaf and shrub lichens and epiphytic mosses.

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Based on the recommendations in 2021. Improvement works of trees valuable in terms of biodiversity and dangerous for visitors growing in the historical parks of Antaliptian Monastery and Kamariškės Manor were carried out. The permit required for tree management was granted by a commission formed by the Zarasai Municipality Administration. The work was carried out in the first half of March to avoid disturbing the birds preparing for the transition. The works were performed by certified MB "Balta laja" arborists who have won the competition, have the necessary qualifications for the care of valuable trees, certificates issued by the Lithuanian Arborists' Association, high-altitude certificates and experience of similar work in the region. Arboristic crown management and removal of dangerous branches (while maintaining optimal dead branches suitable for maintaining biodiversity) of dangerous and biodiversity valuable trees (mainly small-leaved lindens, common oaks and common maples) have been performed.

20 trees and two groups of small-leaved lindens (6 and 16 trees each) were arranged in Antalieptė Park, and 14 trees in Kamariškės Manor Park. The condition of these and other valuable trees growing in the parks will be monitored in the future. Professional arborist care is expected to ensure the longevity of tree ancestors, and properly tended trees will remain a valuable habitat for a long time for a variety of organisms, not only the aforementioned fungi, lichens and mosses, but also insects, birds, bats and other small mammals.

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The works are carried out with the funds of the international project “Improvement of ecological conditions of water bodies in Latvia and Lithuania” LLI-476 Save Past for the Future (LLI-476 Save the Past for the Future). The project in Lithuania is financed in 2014–2020. Interreg VA Latvian-Lithuanian Cross-Border Cooperation Program and the Republic of Lithuania.

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