A “green diamond”, with centuries-old trees, next to Lake Doirani, fenced off for 20 years to save it from the countless influx of visitors, is expected, after appropriate interventions, to become “visible” again and accessible to people with disabilities.

The fencing of the Mulberry Forest (or “Thousand Trees”), with mulberry trees over 500 years old, was deemed imperative in 2009 by the Kilkis Forestry Department. It is noted that the Monument is located in the area of ​​the Mourion farm, in the Mourion Municipal District of the Kilkis municipality. Its actual fenced and protected area is 155 acres and is owned by the Kilkis Forestry Department.

“There was a question of the system collapsing, that’s why it was fenced off, and then we found out that it was reborn,” forester Kilkis tells the Athens/Macedonian News Agency George Vourtsas, on a guided tour he organized for APE-MPE in the fenced forest. In the tour of the unique ecosystem that has been hidden from the eyes of visitors for years, with the unfathomable vegetation now reaching up to the knee and the birds …relieving you, the image of the centuries-old trees with their huge trunks is impressive.

“It was declared a Nature Monument in 1971 and probably had 1,000 trees when it was named but now, there are not so many big trees, and for a while it also functioned as a recreation area. The existing number of century-old trees amounts to approximately 100 individuals and the number of new trees offered by the regeneration with seedlings from existing species is impressively increasing, which covers almost the entire age range of the last twenty years, where the area of ​​the monument is protected from its extensive use as a forest recreation area,” says Mr. Vourtsas.

The visitors in their cars were “hurting” the forest

The forest consists of centuries-old trees over 500 years old, of the species: Downy-footed Oak (Quercus pentunculiflora), Fraxinus oxysporus, Elm (Ulmus minor), Plane tree (Platanus orientalis) and White Willow (Salix alba). The site of the monument is fenced off with a wooden fence built in 2009 and is in a “revival” stage after visitors were banned from entering it.

According to a study on the protection and promotion of the forest carried out by the Kilkis Forestry Department and the head of the Kilkis Forestry Administration & Management Department, Dr. Angeliki Urouzi, in the rich and rapid development of the regeneration an important role has been played by the presence of wild fauna and especially of wild boars that act as “cultivators” of the soil, as well as the rise of the underground water level that has appeared after 2014, and floods for a long period of the year and especially during winter and spring, almost the entire area of ​​the monument .

The Forest Recreation Area, which has been created southwest of the monument, has stopped operating for more than 20 years as it was found that visitors with their vehicles were “hurting” the forest and the ecosystem was in danger of collapsing.

Paths also accessible by disabled people

In the study submitted by the Forestry Department, which will be implemented with funding of 400,000 euros from the LEADER program, the construction of stone paths, approximately 2 kilometers long and 3.5 meters wide, is planned for the access and browsing of visitors, as well as the safe passage of fire engines in the event of a fire .

“The study was written with the aim of making the forest visitable and accessible all year round. In other words, everyone can admire ancient and ancient trees, enjoy the biodiversity, the orgasm of nature, hear thousands of birds and even see deer” comments Mr. Vourtsas.

The interventions include, among other things, the construction of stone benches and fountains, the marking of the protected area by placing informative signs about the species, the vegetation of the area and the necessity of their absolute protection, and the installation of bars prohibiting entry to visitor vehicles in 3 entrance of the Monument.

“At the same time, a special fauna and flora observatory, approximately 10 meters high, will be built in the forest, with a special ramp for the disabled. In addition, the existing forest vegetation will be cared for and the fencing will be repaired in the damaged sections,” emphasizes Forester Kilkis.

As he makes clear, however, all the work, in accordance with the funding program, must be completed by September 2025 and the Monument handed over to society.