Dundo Forest

Category of protection: Special forest vegetation reserve
Year proclaimed: 1949
Area: 101 ha
Location: Town of Rab (island of Rab)
Altitude: 0 – 80 m

The Dundo Forest can be listed among the most beautiful and well-preserved holm-oak forests of the Mediterranean. This area has probably the longest tradition in the protection and conservation of forests among the most deforested islands of the Adriatic. We hope this special reserve of forest vegetation will continue to be a site of study for many future generations of foresters and natural scientists, and a site where nature lovers can come to enjoy the primordial world of Mediterranean forests.

Flora:
– holm oak / hrast crnika (Quercus ilex),
– manna ash or South European flowering ash / crni jasen (Fraxinus ornus),
– green olive tree or mock privet / zelenika (Phillyrea latifolia),
– tree heath / veliki vrijes (Erica arborea),
– mastic tree / tršlja (Pistacia lentiscus),
– strawberry tree / planika (Arbutus unedo),
.- common myrtle / mirta (Myrtus communis),
– laurustinus / lemprika (Viburnum tinus),
– spring sowbread / primorska ciklama (Cyclamen repandum),
– mediterranean smilax / povijuše – tetivika (Smilax aspera),
– rambling or evergreen Rose / vazdazelena ruža (Rosa sempervirens),
– wild asparagus / šparuga (Asparagus acutifolius)
– black bryony / bljušt (Tamus communis).

Fauna:
– the little owl / ćuk (Athene noctua),
– yellow-necked field mouse / šumski miš (Apodemus flavicollis)
…

The most common mushrooms are:
– jack-o’-lantern mushroom / zavodnica (Omphalotus olearius),
– Chanterelle mushroom/ lisičica (Cantharellus cibarius var.),
– krasnice i mliječnice (Russulaceae),
– boletus/ vrganjevke (Boletaceae).

Kalifront Peninsula

It is located in the northwest of the island. Kalifront Peninsula is characterized by karst relief and coastline with many beautiful large and small bays. The length of the peninsula is 9 km. The width of the bay is 3 km.
The forests of the peninsula Kalifront are ideal for relaxing hiking. Hilly areas and trails are not strenuous, so the elderly can enjoy too. Kalifront Peninsula is famous for its holm oak that stands out in a beautiful forest Dundo. Dundo is one of the few surviving forests in the Mediterranean and the most important forest on the island of Rab. Holm oak (Quercus ilex) is an evergreen oak that can reach the age of a thousand years. A few impressive specimens are preserved in the forest.

Another green wonder of the island is Komrčar park, planted and designed by a forester Pravdoje Belija in 1883.

PUBLIC INSTITUTION PRIRODA for protected area management
CROATIAN FORESTRY SOCIETY
BRITANNICA

Adopt a Dolphin

The Blue World Institute’s “Adopt a dolphin” is a platform to sustain the Adriatic Dolphin Project, the longest-running conservation research project in our region. Your generous support allows us to maintain our research and conservation activities for bottlenose dolphins – and other dolphin species – and to increase public awareness at local and national levels. It also supports the Dolphin Day, educational programs, and promoting overall protection of the Adriatic marine environment.
https://www.blue-world.org/get-involved/adopt-a-dolphin/

Adriatic Dolphin Project

The Adriatic Dolphin Project is the longest ongoing study of a single resident bottlenose dolphin community in the Mediterranean Sea that started in 1987. The aim of this project is to research the population ecology and conservation biology of bottlenose dolphins and other Cetacean species in the Adriatic Sea using genetics, population, and habitat modeling and disturbance factors. Since the outset, the project has been an example of best practice in the successful integration of scientific research with practical conservation resulting in the declaration of six Natura 2000 sites for bottlenose dolphins. The science undertaken by the Adriatic Dolphin Project aims to provide information to the public and relevant authorities and promote the protection of the dolphins and their habitat.

Bottlenose dolphins are protected under Croatian law and are placed in the National Red List, categorized as “Endangered”, but without evaluated trends. Their research and conservation have been listed as a priority in Croatian and European nature protection. As such, our research can aid in developing appropriate conservation strategies in the Adriatic Sea and help in the implementation of the Natura 2000 priority actions for marine biodiversity.

Common Bottlenose Dolphin ( Cro: Dobri dupin)

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Cetacea
Family	Delphinidae
Genus	Tursiops
Species	truncatus
Species Authority	(Montagu, 1821)

The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) hereafter referred to as “the bottlenose dolphin” is possibly the best known and most widely distributed of all Delphinidae species. The basic biology of this species is well documented. It has a fusiform body shape (streamlined); body color varies from dark grey on the dorsal cape to pale grey on the side and white on the underside, which may have a pinkish glow when the summer water temperature is high. The bottlenose dolphin measures between 1.9 m to 4 m when an adult and weighs anything from 100 kg to 500 kg. In the Adriatic, animals usually reach up to 3 m in length and weigh about 200 kg. Dolphins must surface every few minutes to breathe. The single blowhole is located on the dorsal surface of the head and is covered by a muscular flap that provides an airtight seal when diving. Bottlenose dolphins remain submerged for 4 – 7 minutes when foraging for fish. Bottlenose dolphins feed mostly on benthic fish and small squids and therefore are often in direct competition with fishermen. They are famous for their curiosity and this makes them prone to entanglement, particularly in gillnets, which in turn is a major form of premature death for the species. Although there is no current worldwide estimation of their population, based on the aerial surveys we carried out, their number in the Adriatic is estimated at around 10,000 individuals. Pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction reduces the numbers of these dolphins and confines them to limited habitats.

Sea Turtle Rescue Centre

The Sea Turtle Rescue Centre was constructed as part of the ”Network for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Sea Turtles in the Adriatic (NETCET)” project funded by the European Union Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Adriatic Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) Programme. The centre is part of the network of rescue centres for conservation of sea turtles in the Adriatic Sea.

Sea turtles are an ancient group of animals, inhabiting Earth for millions of years. Today they face many threats that cause their numbers to decline. The loggerhead turtle inhabits the entire Adriatic Sea year-round. It nests on beaches in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus and the hatchlings reach the Adriatic Sea as they mature. In the northern Adriatic, they enter the benthic phase of their lifecycle when they feed on benthic crustaceans and mollusks. As the northern Adriatic is a shallow sea, it represents a key habitat for loggerhead turtles. Being cold-blooded animals, sea turtles spend the cold winter months ͚hibernating͛ on the bottom of the northern Adriatic Sea.

Read more at https://www.blue-world.org/science-education-losinj/marine-turtle-rescue-centre/

The Blue world institut
excursion-rab.com
dolphin-watching.com

Pelinkovac

It seems that many Central European nations have some sort of a bitter-tasting liqueur based on wormwood and a bunch of other herbs.

The Germans have Jägermeister, probably the most famous brand among them, there’s also Underberg, the Hungarians have Unicum, the Czechs have Becherovka, and so on. Croatia is no exception.
Here we have Pelinkovac. The name is pretty straight-explanatory, as it derives from the word pelin, for wormwood ( Lat. Artemisia Absinthium). Variations of it are also popular in the neighboring countries. All major Croatian distilleries have their own version. Most popular are made by Maraska and Badel Distillery, and as in football rivalry, there are those who like just Badel and those who like just Maraska Pelinkovac, although there are other “clubs”/distilleries which produce Pelinkovac; Dalmacijavino, Darna Distillery (Rovinjski Pelinkovac), Zvecevo…
The alcohol volume is from 28% in Marsaka’s Pelikovac to 32% in Dalmacijavino’s Pelin.

Pelinkovac on the Adriatic coast is served pure, with ice and lemon, as an aperitif or digestif.
Some people like it with lemon juice made from 1/4 to 1/2 of fresh lemon, and it is called “Štrukani Pelinkovac”, The nickname for Pelinkovac is Pelin.

Pelinkovac is known as “stomach restorative”.
It can be bought in some shops out of Croatia.

The story of Badel’s Antique Pelinkovac

ANTIQUE PELINKOVAC is Badel’s oldest and most famous premium herbal liqueur and also one of the most intriguing Croatian drinks. The product dates back to the year 1862, the founding year of the company Badel 1862.

It was created by Franjo Pokorny, a tradesman, and founder of the company Badel 1862. At that time Antique was sold solely in pharmacies with the recommendation “stomach restorative”. It was so successful that Franjo Pokorny became the supplier of this fantastic liqueur for the Viennese and French royal courts, and in accordance with records from that time, it was also exported to America. The recipe for the production of Badel Antique Pelinkovac is the oldest and most secret in Badel 1862 archives (…) and the original bottle in which the product is sold is exhibited in Zagreb City Museum.

Since the year 1862 Antique Pelinkovac is produced in the same, traditional manner, in accordance with the original recipe, from 100% natural ingredients. To those who understand the production technology of fine liqueurs, we shall reveal that selected aromatic herbs are first macerated in alcohol, and then the aged macerate is distilled in small series in coppers and after it is aged, it is manually bottled and thus it is a true Croatian craft product. Every bottle is marked with a unique serial number printed on the label at the back of the bottle. The flavor of this premium herbal liqueur is dominated by wormwood (Cro. Pelin), an aromatic herb characterized by its scent and bitter note, by which it is remembered and recognized due to the beneficial effect on the human body, thus making Pelinkovac the perfect digestive but also one of the best bases for traditional aperitif cocktails. (…)