Biokovo

On Thursday, we visited the Biokovo Nature Park in Makarska. We started with a presentation by Ivana Gabric at one of the education centers in the park. In 1981 the park was designated as one of the 11 nature parks in Croatia, and in 1998 it was designated as a public institution. At the park, visitors can sightsee, hike, go on tours, and explore the caves. The park’s mission is to protect and safeguard nature, ensure undisturbed natural processes, and maintain sustainable use of natural resources. The financing comes from the national, county, and municipality budget; entrance fees; revenue from reimbursement; donations; and grant funding for projects. The park has 12 employees: the director, conservation manager, park rangers, technical and expert services, and a governing board with 5 members.

The park is located in part of the Dinaric Alps, covering about 19,550 hectares (48,309 acres), with heights ranging from 200-1762 meters (656-5780 feet). The highest peak at Biokovo is St. Jure. The park has a variety of wild plant and animal species, including rare and protected species. There are 120 cave organisms, 221 species of butterflies, 7 protected amphibian species, 21 protected reptile species, 13 endangered bat species, and more. Also located in the park is the Biokovo Botanical Garden Kotisina (16.5 hectares, or about 40 acres).

The park is a very valuable resource to the surrounding community. In the park, visitors can see the traditional architecture, pastoral housings, Illyrian heaps (tombs), churches and chapels, and traditional agriculture and farming techniques. The park offers educational programs, ecological workshops, presentations, discussions, and informational centers. The park also encourages stewardship in the community. People can come to the park to learn about nature and their environment, and what they can do to help protect it. Biokovo is also important to the Makarskan community identity. Having this resource available to the area helps strengthen the community and provides many opportunities to improve overall health through many facets.

The Biokovo Park also supports social bonding. Many school groups, tour groups, and families come to the park. It is a great opportunity to get out and get physical activity. Coming to the park to hike or ride bikes can help many chronic diseases, like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis. There are many marked trails throughout the park so that people can hike on their own. We saw several people hiking and riding bicycles throughout the park. Our group took vans part of the way up and hiked to one peak. We hiked back down and had lunch, then took vans to St. Jure, the second highest peak in Croatia.

The park is a great place for individuals to come to relieve stress through exercise and meditation. The park can also serve as a place for people to improve their spiritual health. Visiting the park can help improve mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and phobias.

Many residents of Makarska and the surrounding areas have farms in the mountains. They typically grow potatoes and other vegetables, and many of them have cattle and horses in the park. These farmers have improved health from farming, clearing the fields of rocks, herding their cattle or other livestock, and hiking to their farms.

The weather was perfect for our hike, and the storm from the night before gave us a clear view of the islands off the coast of Makarska. The view from the peaks is absolutely amazing. One of our professors, Dr. Tir, pointed out all of the familiar parts of Makarska, like the street our apartments are on. We had a great time hiking and visiting the Biokovo Park and recommend this to anyone who is in Makarska.

- Elizabeth

Osijek

May 14th We visited the town of Osijek. Osijek is located in Eastern Croatia, near the Drava River. It is a town scarred by the war, but is slowly being rebuilt to its previous beauty. Here we noticed that there are huge differences in leisure and recreation than in Zagreb. The town is very family oriented and our guide said that it was a very safe city. We went on a walking tour and were able to see many oppurtunities for exercise throughout the town. Near the river there is a pedestrian and bike path. No cars are allowed on this level. Many people were riding bikes with children secured in seats on the back. The majority of the kids who were in the seats or on their bikes had on helmet. Near the pedestrian and bike path there were soccer fields, tennis courts, skating areas, playgrounds, and parks.

We saw people of all ages taking part in tennis lessons or games. Parents were playing with their children on the playgrounds, not just sitting and watching them from afar. Many younger girls were skating around not just in the parks, but on the sidewalks in the city as well. We also noticed rowing equipment near the river. There was a lot of green space in Osijek. The town seemed to appreciate lesiure and exercise more than the residents of Zagreb. Zagreb is more of an urban city than Osijek. We have only seen two workout centers on the outside of Zagreb. There are people riding bikes, but it is used for travel, not exercise. We do know that there are tennis courts near our hotel, but we have not visited them yet.

While we were there the town was having a street festival. Families were all around listening to music and enjoying food and carnival attractions. In Zagreb we passed by a concert one night (for a political campainging), but it was not targeted to families.

Upon intering the city, there were recycling bins for various materials. We have not seen this in Zagreb.

Osijek, though stircken by war, is a very lively and youthful town.

-Rachel