Plans to spruce up eco village
ONE HUNDRED grapevines, a native plant which used to symbolise the Lefke District village of Bağlıköy, are to be planted in the gardens of residents as part of efforts to revive the community’s traditional appearance.
Potted plants have now been placed at various locations in Bağlıköy, which was judged to have some of the country’s cleanest streets and squares by the presidential environmental Think Clean campaign.
The initiatives follow a series of meetings between “first lady” Meral Akıncı and community leaders to promote the protection and preservation of the environment.
Speaking to Cyprus Today, head of the village’s Eco-Tourism Volunteers’ Association Perihan Aziz said the association, which has been engaged in promoting the village for several years, had also recently joined the Think Clean movement.
“Our association has been working to create a better village, a rural and environmentally sustainable one,” she said.
“We asked the Think Clean campaigners, who judged our village as one with the cleanest streets, to give us a hand to make it greener . . . There are some areas of the village which had been changed and we started to lose our green areas.
“We came up with the idea of carrying out some work to re-shape the landscape. Potted plants have been placed in some spots, and that first step will be followed by planting 100 young grapevines in the gardens of Bağlıköy villagers. We will then plant native trees such as olives, carobs and almonds.”
Bağlıköy-born Ms Aziz said: “In 66 years, I have never lost my ties with my village, and with other members of the association I have been working for the promotion of its rural and environmental sustainability. We are doing our utmost to that end.”
With stone boundary walls and clean public areas that are becoming increasingly green, she said much had already been accomplished, although stressing the need for more to be done.
“Villagers have been informed about the importance of protecting and preserving nature and the environment,” she said.
“For example, in the past, villagers used to pick orchids to put on display in vases. Now, though, they are aware of how important it is to protect endemic orchids as well as the benefits they provide in making our village and its countryside more attractive.
“They know that many people, including tourists, come here just to see the endemic plants.”