Photo 1. The opening of the Friar Berard Barčić Natural History Exhibition in the Franciscan Monastery on Košljun Island (Photo by Sunčica Strišković)
THE FRIAR BERARD BARČIĆ NATURAL HISTORY EXHIBITION – A FRANCISCAN EXPERIENCE OF UNITY WITH NATURE Košljun Island at Puntarska Draga has been protected as a special reserve of forest vegetation since 1969. Since its foundation, Public Institution “Priroda” has been cooperating with the Franciscans to help protect nature on the small island. Cooperation reached new heights during the latest project of setting up the Friar Berard Barčić Natural History Exhibition. The inspiration for setting up the Exhibition was drawn from the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis is beloved for his exceptionally emotional closeness with nature and all its creatures and phenomena. In the present time of severe ecological crises and the degradation of nature, his teachings are more important than ever. The Exhibition comprises three fundamental sections – Air, Water and the Earth – divided according to the main natural elements. The introductory part provides basic information about the island. The concept and visual identity of the Exhibition were designed by Vesna Rožman, while PI “Priroda” was responsible for the expert part*. The introductory part of the Exhibition gives us basic information about the island as it is today. For example, it tells us that Košljun Island has an area of 0.72 km2, making it the 215th small island by size in the Croatian Adriatic, out of a total of 525 small islands; and that it is six metres high and has a shoreline that is 1,083 metres long. Its shores are low with segments of muddy sediment between coastal rocks and limestone rocks. The drystone wall that encircles the island along the shore was built in the last century by the Franciscans to protect the islet from strong winds and waves, a vital role, especially now in a time of climate change. The section “Air” features the island’s main winds, birds, butterflies and flying insects. It contains two important insect collections: a collection of the butterflies of Krk Island and an entomological collection of beetles and arachnids. The butterfly collection was donated to the Monastery by Heinz Habele, an avid researcher of the region’s butterfly fauna. It is interesting to note that 1,450 butterfly species have been found on Krk Island up to date. This is an impressive number and it accounts for 45% of all known butterfly species in Croatia. A large number of the butterflies of Krk Island can permanently or occasionally be found on Košljun Island. Focusing on marine life (marine flora and fauna), the section “Water” displays an interesting collection of sponges, corals, molluscs, bryozoans (moss animals) and other exhibits from the island’s “school” collection of natural history. Especially interesting is the story about the submarine walls that stretch from Prnibe Peninsula to Košljun (and which are clearly visible in images taken by aircrafts and satellites). Many tales and legends have been spun about the walls. Although hydro-archaeological research has yet to be carried out, there are several possible explanations for these unusual, submarine constructions. According to one, they were built to guide schools of fish towards special spots on the shore (known as “piškeri”) where the fish were kept and captured. According to another, the submarine construction was used for pedestrian communication (perhaps in Antiquity when the sea level was some two metres lower than it is today). It’s possible that the submerged walls were used for both purposes, each in their own time. Photo 2. The section “Water” displays eye-catching marine flora and fauna. (Photo by Sunčica Strišković).
There was a private high school for monk trainees on Košljun from 1884 to 1928, which was attended for a time by external pupils as well. The current natural history collection (the part that has been integrated into the new exhibition) was built upon the school’s collection that was primarily used for teaching. The collection was begun by Friar Mauricije Gugić (1870 – 1946). It is interesting to note that during the time the high school was active and when the collection was being put together, the Franciscans of Košljun were in regular contact with renowned European natural scientists. The majority of exhibits in the collection are minerals and rocks, fossils, marine organisms and fish, including some “oddities” (such as a one-eyed lamb) displayed in the so-called Cabinet of Wonders. The collection of fish and other vertebrae consists of mounted fish specimens and parts, such as the heads, teeth and jaws of cartilaginous and bony fishes; the fins and “sword” of swordfish; parts of fish skeletons; shark eggs; and the rostrum or “beak” of a smalltooth sawfish. The griffon vulture nurtured on the island, the nest of a tropical weaver bird and a mounted python are sure to grab your interest. The section “Earth” presents minerals, rocks, flora, fauna and fungi. Geological strata containing minerals, fossils and rocks are like the pages of an open book; they tell us about events from the Earth’s past – but only if you know how to read them! Over time, the Franciscans have managed to put together a fascinating collection of minerals and rocks. However, information about where the specimens were found and who collected or donated them is available for only a part of the exhibits. The specimens featured in the new exhibition come from several collections that were mostly created in the early 20th century. The work of Friar Berard Barčić in natural history. The Franciscan Berard Barčić, who celebrated his 104th birthday this year, has played a compelling role in studying the plant life and fungi of Košljun Island. A separate section of the exhibition is dedicated to his work concerning the island’s natural history and presents the results of his studies of flora, vegetation and fungi. Despite the many duties he was responsible for, he still found time to engage in natural history research and writing. He is the author of 11 books, two of which are important botanical books (Flora i vegetacija otočića Košljuna, 1982, 2nd Edition 1996, and Biljnogeografski odnosi otoka Badije, 2001). He has published about 130 papers and articles in professional and academic journals, proceedings, calendars, etc., some of which deal with evolution, botany, mycology and biology. He studied and presented the plants of the islands of Košljun and Badija by applying modern floristic and phytosociological (phytocenological) methods, which he learned from Prof Ivo Horvat, the renowned Croatian botanist. In the more than ten years that he studied the flora and vegetation of Košljun, he found 387 species of higher plants, 151 species of fungi and three species of lichen and moss. He studied in depth and described 12 plant communities on Košljun Island. Hence, the natural history exhibition in the Franciscan Monastery on Košljun is dedicated to this keen natural scientist, whose name it bears. Marko Randić *Public Institution “Priroda” would like to thank all its collaborators, in particular the outstanding nature photographers Radovan Kranjčev, PhD, Daniel Frka, Ervin Raguzin, Želimir Gržančić, Mark Matešić and Željko Stojanović, for their assistance, cooperation and (donated) photos.
Photo 3. The remarkable and imaginative visual identity of the natural history exhibition was designed by Vesna Rožman, and the spatial installation was created by Matej Voćanec and Ivana Pastić (Photo by Sunčica Strišković)
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