The Mulberry at Skradinski buk waterfall: the silken history of Skradin

The Mulberry at Skradinski buk waterfall, a white mulberry (Morus alba) from the Krka National Park, is this year’s candidate for Croatian tree of the year The competition is organised by the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Nature Areas in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, and in addition to the mulberry from the Skradinski buk waterfall, the Sestrica from Mikluševac, and the black poplar (Populus nigra) from Vukovar-Srijem County are also competing. Voting can be carries out on the web page https://www.zastita-prirode-dnz.hr/glasaj-za-hrvatsko-stablo-2023-godine/ from the 1^st to the 30^th of September 2023. The winner will be announced on the 13^th of October 2023, and the organisor will candidate it for the European Tree of the Year. The Croatian Tree of the Year competition aims to highlight the importance held by old trees in the natural and cultural heritage, which deserve our care and protection. The focus is not only on the beauty, size, or age of the tree, but also on the story of the tree and its connection with the local community and people. Therefore, the competition within the local community, as well as the general public, encourages them to get involved in the protection and preservation of natural elements. Thanks to this type of competition, trees are promoted as an important factor in the protection and preservation of natural values and biodiversity, extremely important for human life in general and the survival of mankind. The story of the silken past and the sweet present of this region is also told by the mulberry tree at Skradinski buk, which is estimated to be around four hundred years old. As Don Krsto Stošić tells us, in the first half of the 19^th century, Skradin was home to the largest silkworm breeding site in Dalmatia: in the thirties of the 19^th century, Skradin, along with Rab, was the largest producer of mulberry silkworm cocoons in Dalmatia. Until the 1860s, the production of silk cocoons in Dalmatia grew, but with the appearance of the mulberry disease, it fell sharply. At the beginning of the 20^th century, Skradin was the only place in Dalmatia where cocoons and silk were produced. Due to low prices, production died off before the First World War. This year, the Krka National Park joined the action “Growing Together”, which has been implemented as part of the European initiative to plant three billion trees by 2030. On this occasion, saplings of autochthonous species of planika/madrones/arbutus and laurel were distributed to the local population on International Labour Day (May 1), and in August, a photo exhibition was held at Skradinski buk, which emphasised the importance of shade provided by trees. That’s why we invite all friends of the Krka National Park to vote for the mulberry tree at Skradinski buk. All information about the competition can be found on the Park’s social networks. After the announcement of the winner, the Krka National Park will again distribute tree seedlings to the local community, thus once again supporting the action “Growing Together”.