The benefit evening was attended by representatives of the School Forestry Enterprise and the Faculty of Forestry and Wood. “The trees are a symbolic link between the two forests that bear the name of President Liberator. In this connection, we accelerate the awareness of belonging to the originally Czech kibbutz and the common sharing of Masaryk values in civic life. And, of course, real help in the restoration of a small forest in the desert areas of northern Israel,” said Tomáš Vrška, director of the School Forest Enterprise Masaryk’s Forest of Křtiny.
From 2020, students and experts of the Faculty of Forestry and Woodwork are participating in the revitalization of the Masaryk Forest and adjacent forests in the Lower Galilee – in the Nazareth and Haifa area. “In all cases, these are suburban forests, and the range of forestry, landscape and arborist work carried out corresponds to this. Together with local foresters from the Jewish National Fund, we ensure the removal of dangerous trees from the stand, the pruning of spontaneously rejuvenating Halep pine and the modification of the species composition, including the planting of target trees in a mixed stand with oak, sycamore, carob and cypress,” said Jiří Volánek from the Institute of Geology and Pedology Mendel’s FFW. At the same time, people from MENDELU take care of the planting from previous years. An important part of the revitalization is also the disposal of invasive trees, such as parkinsonia, pajasan, acacia or hops.
Israel’s Masaryk Forest is located near Kibbutz Sarid near Nazareth. It was founded in 1930 as a gift for President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk’s 80th birthday by Czechoslovak settlers who came to Palestine in the 1920s. They planted about 13,000 seedlings on the spot. The existence of the forest was forgotten for many years, but recently its restoration began. MENDELU experts go to Israel to take care of the Masaryk forest regularly.
The fragmented forest, which covers roughly half of the MENDELU Botanical Garden, was in poor condition a few years ago and was practically dying. Now he has already completed several auxiliary interventions, planting is also taking place on the site. The goal is to build more of a forest park, and not just the pine forest that was there originally.
MENDEL’s partner and administrator of most of Israel’s forests is the Jewish National Fund, which already in 1901 set afforestation, forest restoration, care for the forest, water resources and landscape as its main goals. Currently, the Masaryk Forest mainly serves the needs of the residents of the surrounding settlements, providing them with a place to relax and rest, and is becoming a sought-after tourist location, primarily fulfilling a recreational function.
Contact person for further information: doc. Ing. Tomáš Vrška, Dr., director of SFE Masaryk forest Křtiny, +420 602 794 216, e-mail: tomas.vrska@slpkrtiny.cz