Year of the Forests

Seldom have I been made silent with something that is so profound and magnificent. I have travelled, but I have never been to a place like this.

I’m talking about the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia.

I am very much of a forest person. I grew up in the forest and learned to love and respect the nature. My parents would often take me and my brother to the woods to have picnic, we would make a fire and fry sausages. I cherish those memories.

So when I was a little girl, my whole world was about the woods. Later in my life, after I started travelling, I fell deeply in love with oceans and mountains, but there has always been something magical about forests for me: they were drawn in my heart the moment I was born.

United Nations has declared this year the International Year of the Forests; a project originally initiated by Croatia.  This country has over 250 years of experience in forestry; almost half of Croatia’s land is covered with forests.

Forests are the lungs of the earth. It deeply concerns me how carelessly we live on this planet: we pollute the oceans, trash and cut down the forests, consume and destroy. With oil, island of plastic and radioactive water in our oceans, how can we face ourselves? Don’t we have responsibility?

Today I hiked around the most beautiful scenery, with the clearest lakes I have ever seen, and tall trees reaching for the sky. It is one of the rare places where the handprint of human is hardly noticeable. It felt like time had stopped. I wanted to dive in those clear waters, to make a fire, fry sausages and be a little girl once more.

I feel very privileged to have two more days to wander around in this magical place. And while I’m enjoying this Croatian jewel, I challenge you, my dear reader, to think what you could do for our beloved forests. Big things start with small steps and changes sometimes with only one person. Let’s not let our lungs die.

A famous classical singer, whose name I unfortunately cannot remember, used to say:

“The forests sing most beautifully.”

I hope they will keep singing for centuries to come.