Paramelis Forest Preserved: Fund purchases 44 hectares

The process – lasting nearly two years – during which we strategized, planned, and raised funds to purchase the valuable Paramelis Forest has come to an end. This January, the 44-hectare forest near the Čepkeliai swamp was placed under the fund's stewardship.

A Growing Sanctuary: 56 Hectares Under Stewardship

The fundraising effort was supported by donors from Lithuania and abroad, including people who care deeply about nature, as well as various businesses and communities. This is already the fifth forest plot in the Paramelis area that has been successfully protected. This September, we purchased two forest plots in the Paramėlis area with a combined area of 4.7 hectares. In October, the foundation's forests were expanded by two additional plots totaling 7.4 hectares. At present, the foundation stewards nearly 56 hectares of forest in total. The Paramelis Forest is home to several natural habitats. Most of the plot consists of an old lichen-rich pine forest. Boreal owls nest here, lynx are known to visit, and we hope that capercaillie will return. The pine forest is complemented by a swampy deciduous woodland with many old fallen and standing dead trees, where European green woodpeckers and three-toed woodpeckers carve out nesting cavities. Nearby

From Lynx to Bluethroats: A Haven for Rare Species

Nearby stretches a bog forest where moose like to roam. The forest edge borders the wet Katra River valley – an intermediate-type mire – where in spring bluethroats sing, water rails call, common snipes "tick", short- eared owls hunt and European tree frogs croak.

Our Mission: Restoring the "Paramelis Island"

The main goal of the Paramelis Nature Restoration Fund, established in 2022, is to restore and preserve a unique corner of nature in southern Lithuania—the so-called "Paramelis Island"—and the surrounding ecologically valuable areas (forests, swamps, and meadows) near the Čepkeliai swamp and the village of Dubičiai.