Cepkeliai-Dzukija becomes PAN Park

Lithuanian Cepkeliai-Dzukija National Park represents the best of Europe’s wilderness. The park received its PAN Parks certification during Europe’s Wilderness Days for its excellence in preserving wilderness. The area harbours extensive territories of untouched mire with bog woodlands and a diversity of species such as elk, wolf, lynx. The park awaits visitors with a diverse network of trails, bike routes and river routes for canoeing.

Cepkeliai-Dzukija is the twelth PAN Park

Cepkeliai-Dzukija's untouched forests are the newest
addition to the PAN Park wilderness network

Cepkeliai-Dzukija National Park in Lithuania joined the PAN Parks network of wilderness areas as it proved excellence in preserving wilderness, untouched nature providing refuge for a huge diversity of species. To get the PAN Parks certification the Lithuanian park was subject to independent international verification that checked not only the area’s wilderness values but also its management techniques. Zoltan Kun, Executive Director of PAN Parks Foundation, welcomed the new PAN Park saying, “We are glad to welcome Cepkeliai-Dzukija National Park in our network as it has exceptional wilderness qualities at a European scale including its amazing untouched mires.”

The large protected area’s mires with bog woodlands and small lakes in the Cepkeliai reserve comprise the PAN Parks Wilderness area, while Dzukija provides home to extended pine forests with rich diversity of species at protected riverine habitats and sand dune complexes. Dzukija is locally famous for its forest fruits: mushrooms and berries are truly abundant and key ingredients of many local dishes.

The park provides safe home to elk, wolf, lynx, beaver, river otter and many rare bird populations: European key habitat for capercaillie, black grouse, crane. They benefit from the strict protection of the park’s untouched areas as well as from the buffer of surrounding forests in and outside the park. As the Director of the national park, Eimutis Gudelevicius, summarised “Joining the PAN Parks network is an important recognition of our efforts so far and an important tool for improving wilderness protection in our park, involving local communities, sharing benefits of wilderness with the public. It is a challenge for us how to make the most of these possibilities in the future.”

The park offers a diverse network of short educational trails, bike routes and a 2 days long river route for canoeing. Wooden signs provide visitor information on park features, while small bridges, board walks and viewing towers ease safe access. Traditional homesteads in small forest villages offer overnight accommodation and courses in handicrafts.

Europe’s Wilderness Days
The newly certified PAN Park received its certificate during Europe’s Wilderness Days which is the tenth PAN Parks wilderness conference in a row. The conference with participants representing more than 16 countries featured presentations and workshops by experts of diverse fields - conservation, communications and policy - all essential for wilderness protection. Topics include ecological connectivity, relations between humans and wilderness and funding opportunities for protected areas.

For more information, contact
Zoltan Kun, Executive Director, PAN Parks Foundation, zkun [at] panparks [dot] org (zkun [at] panparks [dot] org)
Edit Borza, Communications Manager, PAN Parks Foundation, eborza [at] panparks [dot] org (eborza [at] panparks [dot] org)

For more on Cepkeliai-Dzukija National Park, visit http://www.dzukijosparkas.lt/gamta-en.htm