Mount Javor in southwestern Serbia, known for its dense maple forests, is once again covered with this tree thanks to reforestation carried out by the Belgrade company “Mona”. In the last two years, on an area of 120 hectares, 200,000 maple seedlings were planted, a species of deciduous tree that has almost disappeared from this region. The project was started in the spring of 2022 on the border of the municipalities of Ivanjica, Sjenica and Nova Varoš, at an altitude of about 1,200 meters, where the first seedlings were planted by hand. Thanks to the favorable climate and good care, the percentage of seedlings received is between 90% and 100%, according to the assessment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.
Further afforestation is planned on neglected pastures, meadows and clearings in the areas of Ograđenik, Cmiljevac, Kušićka Ravna Gora and Ljepojevići, on plots that were previously inaccessible. In this part of Serbia, reforestation actions are rare today, and only older residents remember the times when students and residents worked together to plant spruce and pine forests.
Maple there, maple there, maple everywhere
The workers engaged in this project, a dozen of them, planted maple trees on the slopes of the mountain for months. They performed their work on land that once belonged to the Agricultural Cooperative from Kušić. Today’s technologies, such as power drills, make the job much easier, unlike in the past when a pick and a stick were used.
There used to be dense maple forests on the mountains of Stari Vlaho, while today this tree has almost disappeared. The maple tree, a symbol of beauty, strength and endurance, is deeply rooted in Serbian tradition and culture. Since ancient times, it has been used in folk construction to make furniture, household items and agricultural tools. Fiddles are still made from it to this day. Maple trees are, of course, sung about in folk songs. According to legends, a squirrel used to be able to cross from the river Uvac to the highest peak of Javor, Vasilijina peak, jumping from branch to branch.
However, in recent decades the elms have dried up, and the maple has almost disappeared, replaced by beech and conifers. The remaining maple trees can be seen today mainly in parks, tree rows or yards. They are no longer in the dense forests that once covered the mountains of this region. Initiatives like this “Mona” give hope that the maple will return to these mountain areas. With a little luck, Mount Javor will once again become recognizable for its maple forests.
Source: Good morning
Source: boljazemlja.com
