ŽUVINTAS BIOSPHERE RESERVE WAS ESTABLISHED 85 YEARS AGO
The first protected area in Lithuania - Žuvintas Reserve - celebrates its 85th anniversary, as it was established in 1937 on the initiative of Professor Tadas Ivanauskas. At that time, the protection of Lake Žuvintas began, which is distinguished by an extremely rich and diverse world of birds.
1937 April 5 At the invitation of T. Ivanauskas, the first environmentalist Teofilis Zubavičius arrived in Žuvintas, and the real protection of this unique lake was started from that day. You can find out more about the history of the Žuvintas reserve here
According to Paulius Čeponas, the current director of the Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve, the exact date of the establishment of the reserve is unknown, as no official document has survived. According to written sources, the Žuvintas Reserve was established in 1937. Initiative of Tadas Ivanauskas, Professor of Kaunas Vytautas Magnus University. At that time, only Lake Žuvintas was protected, which is distinguished by an extremely rich and diverse world of birds.
The largest wetland in Lithuania, Žuvintas, occupies a very swampy plain with a large but shallow lake Žuvintas and the surrounding floodplains. The Biosphere Reserve preserves two large wetland complexes in southern Lithuania - the Žuvintas Palios and Amalvas wetlands. Lake Žuvintas is probably the most impressive part of the reserve. The lake is very shallow and swampy, with abundant floating islets and thousands of migrating birds.
Since 2002 The Žuvintas Nature Reserve is the most strictly protected component of the current Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve. This area is also included in the list of protected areas under the Convention of Wetlands (Ramsar) and has Natura 2000 status. Žuvintas is part of the Global Network of Biosphere Reserves of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program.
Visitors can get acquainted with the values of the Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve at the visitor center, as well as the Žuvintas and Bukta nature trails and bird-watching platforms.