DIRTY HABITS: Bizarre types of refuse, including dismantled cars and heaps of old shoes, have turned up in the forests near Klaipeda. A Forestry Department official said they have no program to control the problem.
KLAIPEDA - My friends and I have always enjoyed the forests and open areas around Klaipeda, and it is one of the main reasons I moved here. For years, we've enjoyed walking through the forests for exercise, having outdoor barbecue and shish-kebab parties, mushroom and wild berry gathering, and just plain enjoying the tranquil atmosphere. One of the great things about Klaipeda is that you can get out of the city and into an open and peaceful area within minutes from almost anywhere in the city.
Our favorite areas are at the north end of the city 's out and around the coastal area of Giruliai, and the south end of the city, around the village area of Sernai.
On one recent weekend we threw our barbecue equipment into our car and drove out to one of our regular spots. It was one of our favorites, located in a nice clearing among the trees, and it had been lovingly used by ourselves and other visitors. It already had a little bed of charcoal and ashes where others had cooked many times. This included a few large, flat rocks, a couple of old logs placed around the cooking area, and even a handmade spit.
As we came around the curve in the forest path leading to our spot, we were shocked 's the whole area had been devastated. Several hectares of forest had been cut down, and the remaining bare land looked as if it had been raked over by the hands of giants. Deep ruts, pits and stumps of trees were strewn across the area. It looked horrible. We drove around a bit, and found that there were quite a few areas like this. What was happening to the forest? Did the cutting and clearing have sinister economic motives? Was the wood being cut down for sale to Western Europe? We decided to try to find out what had happened.
As it turns out, there was no conspiracy.
Most of the forested areas around Sernai are government-owned and maintained. The section we visited is only a small part of what is now called the Kretinga Forestry Region. It stretches from the south of Klaipeda all the way across the northern coast of the city, and then up to the border with Latvia.
We spoke with Stanislovas Mazeika, the Forestry Department official for the areas we were familiar with. Mazeika, who has maintained the forest here for 45 years, gave us a history lesson about the area and explained that the cutting of the various areas within the forests was a normal part of forestry maintenance and restoration.
A major part of the work of the Lithuanian Forestry Department, we learned, is concerned with making sure that the forests remain healthy. As some "old forests" become choked, overgrown, and unhealthy, they become breeding grounds for disease. They are partially cleared and cleaned up for newer and healthier growth. Also, because Klaipeda is a windy coastal city, every year there is some amount of wind and storm damage to the forests around it, along with insect and tree diseases that crop up naturally.
The trash problem
I have always found it hard to believe the amount of trash found within the local forests. There is much more than I found in other countries I have visited. Not just the expected number of bottles, containers, and bags left behind by thoughtless visitors enjoying an outdoor meal, but sometimes completely bizarre things.
One day, while walking through a deeper area of forest, we stumbled across a sea of shoes. A shoe graveyard. There was a little mountain of old shoes, and one can only guess that a big truck full of them had come and disgorged its contents onto the land. Other areas looked as if someone had driven a car into the forest and dismantled it for its parts. We found the entire interiors of several old cars scattered across one area.
The Forestry Department official for the area and several local landowners gave us some contrasting and confusing responses regarding the trash problem.
The official made it clear that there were no "park rangers" who regularly patrolled and counseled people using the forests for recreational purposes.
He said that it was "not their job" to confront or attempt to strictly enforce trash laws within the forest.
One of the local landowners said that they grouped together with their neighbors one day every year and drove through the local interior roads and paths picking up trash and cleaning what they could around the state-owned lands surrounding their properties.
We wondered why the Forestry Department seemed to have no similar program. The forest areas in Lithuania are part of its heritage and pride, so why isn't there more effort to keep them free of trash?
When questioned about this, one local said that this was the result of the old Soviet influence, and that many people had "learned or become accustomed to" leaving their trash in the forest. He said he hoped that Lithuanian people would eventually stop being so dirty.
I doubt they will. In the many years I have visited these areas, I have only seen the problem grow worse.
If you look into the history of Klaipeda and the land around it, you'll find that a great amount of effort has been made to keep it beautiful and green. Maybe the sea of shoes can become a mountain of mushrooms someday, but it will look bad for a long time.
We were relieved to find out that there was no sinister motive behind the clearing of the forests. Still, we were surprised and miss our old spot, and we hope that keeping the forests clean will become a more important concern for everyone. What goes into the forest should come back out!
