Organizers of the ecological festival "Cranes and Cranberries of the Miory Region" discussed ways of cooperation with the European Union
The celebration of unity between humans and nature attracts many residents of the region, and the number of foreign guests grows year by year. State and public organizations have found common ground – the need to develop rural territories, foster ecological culture, and protect nature. The festival began with a seminar discussing this topic, preceded by a week of various events – contests, quizzes, and competitions.
Hosts and guests, including Aris Adlers, an expert from the Latvian Rural Forum, discussed avenues of cooperation with the European Union for the development of their territories. Berend de Groot, Chargé d'affaires of the European Union Delegation to Belarus, also spoke about this. The festival has become a brand of the Miory region, bringing fame to the area. In addition to Latvians, delegations from the Russian town of Opochka, the neighboring districts of Polotsk, Novopolotsk, Gluboksky, Sharkovshchinsky, and Verkhnedvinsky, as well as guests from the capital and other cities of Belarus, participated.
Yelnya – an airport for birds
– Birds feed here, and this is the most convenient place for them to spend the night, – said Alexander Vinchavsky, director of the public organization "Aхова птушак Бацькаўшчыны" (Birds' Protection Society). – Hardly any predator reaches the center of the swamp, which is why there are thousands of cranes here. Cranes only spend the night at Yelnya, foraging in the surrounding fields and meadows 20-30 km away. Every evening they gather on the swamp; we have counted up to 6,000 individuals.
The birds that arrived earlier have already left. Now, approximately a thousand feathered birds are resting at Yelnya. Gradually, the number of cranes will increase, with the last ones staying until the end of November and even early December. The birds' migration route is the East Mediterranean flyway. Cranes fly through Ukraine, then to Turkey and Israel, followed by Ethiopia and parts of the African continent.
Hundreds of people come to the festival precisely to observe this beautiful bird and listen to the stories of volunteer guides. An impressive queue formed at the observation deck. The 30x magnification of the binoculars creates the illusion that the bird is walking nearby.
The Grey Crane is one of the largest birds in Europe, reaching up to 140 cm in height and with a wingspan of over 2 meters. It chooses a mate for life. The birds stay together year-round. A pair has no more than two chicks per season, and usually, only one of them survives.
Cranberries – Our Wealth
The "Yelnya" reserve is one of the richest places for cranberries. Local residents harvest the berries for themselves and for sale. The menu of housewives features dozens of cranberry dishes: fruit drinks, kissels, gravies, sauces, and pastries. What delicacies were not present with it on the rural homesteads! Sausage, meat, aspic – the tartness adds a piquant flavor.
This berry is a good source of supplementing the family budget. Excluding sales in markets, dozens of tons are supplied by residents of Miory district to collectors. Unlike previous years, when the berries could only be bought at the local consumer cooperative's outlet, this year they were sold by several dozen collectors from Miory and Sharkovshchyna districts.
A trade row with cranberries in boxes, buckets, baskets, and jars greeted visitors to the peninsula – the traditional venue for the festival. There was also a vehicle from the private enterprise "Arzhanitsa" from Glubokoye. The young owner, Vasily Brilenok, and his assistant were briskly selling berry desserts: cranberry dragees, marmalade, and syrup. Nearby, a queue formed at the counter of the Verkhnedvinsk district store.
New Development Momentum
This year, the "Cranes and Cranberries of the Miory Region" festival became part of the large-scale project "Together for Community and Nature: Strengthening the Development Process in Miory District through Partnership between Local Authorities and Civil Society." Its participants, along with the district authorities, invited berry pickers and artisans to the festival to stimulate their desire to earn money at such events. Was it successful? Yes.
Here is just one example. Previously, Ksenia Moskolenko from Miory painted gingerbread only as gifts for friends and did not dare to bring her products to the market. She was offered to give a master class at the festival. 100 gingerbread bases and pre-made decorations, painted in front of children and adults, were sold instantly. This is her first achievement. The second is the gratitude from the public association "Aхова птушак Бацькаўшчыны" (BirdLife Belarus), which was awarded to her as one of the active guardians of "Yelnya."
The master class on weaving with wild plants also attracted visitors' interest. At the table of a craftswoman from Polotsk, girls and adult ladies learned the technology of the craft.
– We have many talented people, – said project coordinator Nadezhda Dudarenok. — We need to interest them in making and selling souvenirs, which are in demand in Miory. Some already know how to do something, others we will teach, it is important to get things moving.
At the "Photo Drying", everyone could trace the history of the festival. Its highlight was also an exhibition of household utensils and tools of our ancestors, organized by history teacher and local historian Vitold Yermalionok. The collection of exhibits for the future museum "Cranes and Cranberries" was initiated – townspeople brought items depicting cranes or cranberries.
Traditionally, the results of the improvement of industrial and adjacent territories were summed up, the winners were awarded diplomas of the district executive committee and certificates for gifts, and the best elders were named.