4 GRADA DRAGODID Association – YEAR 2013 ACTIVITY REPORT

Past year has seen the continued growth in the both number and ambition of our activities. It is therefore a pleasure for us to present you with this public report about our achievements in 2013.

Thanks to the implementation of our “franchise model” of working with local partners, this has been a record year in terms of number of workshops realized. As an advisor to our local partners we have helped organize and lead 13 workshops on various dry stone sites along the length of Croatian coast. Additionally, our International dry stone workshop in Petrebišća, of which we are sole organizers, has continued to be an educational success, with highly motivated participants and a program of practical work and lectures that was most ambitious up to now.

Act of registration of Dry-stone construction skills as an intangible cultural asset

Among the most important achievements we have to highlight our successful initiative to the Croatian Ministry of Culture, which has resulted in awarding of “Dry-stone construction skills” with protected status of an “Intangible cultural asset of national importance”. In addition to initiating this process trough the formal application, we took a leading advisory role in drafting of the registration documents and protection measures.  The protected status has been granted for initial period of three years, which will be used for the evaluation of protection measures and the scope of registration so that adjustments can be made for the permanent registration that is to follow.

————————————————————-

“Gradimo u kamenu” dry-stone manual, second edition

In 2013 we have continued our cooperation with Slobodna Dalmacija – one of the largest daily newspaper publishers in Croatia, which printed the second edition of our dry-stone construction and heritage field manual “Gradimo u kamenu”. Second edition (like the first) was printed in 4000 copies which is very substantial print run for Croatian standards. It was nationally distributed trough newspaper stands and sold out within two months. As a part of our contract with the publisher we have kept a a part of the print run which we distribute and provide to the participants of our workshops as course literature. Currently we are working to translate this publication into English so with plans to offer an electronic edition as a free resource on our website.

————————————————————-

SUHOZID.HR WebGIS interface
Dragodid.org announcement
Announcement published in scientific journal Prostor
Announcement on Connect portal for science and education 

In April, we were proud to announce the operational status of our newest project: Suhozid.hr – an online public inventory of dry-stone structures and landscapes. This project is founded on open source GIS (Geographic Information System) technology and uses the principle of “crowdsourcing” to enlist help of the public in inventorying dry-stone heritage. Internet users can browse existing entries trough the cartographic user interface on the project website and place new ones on the map with pictures and description. An entry form has also been developed for the Android smartphones, which enables users to ad entries from the field, taking pictures with the phone camera with phone GPS used to automatically pinpoint their position on the map. There are already several hundred entries in the inventory and we are looking to attract more enthusiast users with a system of recognitions (eg. “Contributor of the month”, or “Featured entry”).

The inventory is meant to serve as database of localities for our dry-stone research and workshops, and also as an important resource for spatial planning and heritage protection. The project is supported by University of Zagreb, University of Zadar, Conservatory Department in Split. Preliminary research was financed by University of Zagreb Students’ Association and Croatian Academy of Science and Arts Trust.

————————————————————-

Among other achievements, we would like to highlight the participation of 4 GRADA DRAGODID in “Mediterranean Consortium for Nature and Culture”, a project funded by MAVA foundation, which aims to integrate natural and cultural heritage protection in the Mediterranean. Our representatives have participated in two consortium meetings in Albania and Spain, helping draft plans for its future activities. Also worth noting is our exhibition at EXPONATEC, the largest European professional fair for conservation, museums and heritage, were we exhibited as a part of The Best in Heritage stand. Our exhibition was visited by several hundred heritage professionals from various parts of Europe, and we established several meaningful contacts which will hopefully lead to collaboration on common projects.

————————————————————-

We have achieved a record (but still very modest) yearly budget of 110 754 HRK (around 14 700 €). Considerable part of it was acquired trough paid engagements (e.g. workshops organized for various institutions managing national and nature parks and publishing rights for the publication of our manual).  Our single biggest donor was Croatian Ministry of Culture with total of 22 600 kn  followed by 1000 £ from Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. Although this was our biggest annual budget up to now we feel it is inadequate for the full scope of our activities, which were mostly realized trough generous volunteer effort of the association members. With current financial means we are chronically under-capacitated, especially when it comes to the matters of administration. Our goal remains to find funds to hire a capable administrator and run a basic office.

What follows is a short description of most of the workshops we have been a part of last year:

Dry-stone workshop Takala 2013
April 6-7th 2013
Praputnjak, City of Bakar (Suhozid.hr link)
Facebook album 

This was a second year that we were guests of the Dolčina agricultural association from Praputnjak in the amazing locality of Takala, part of “Bakarski prezidi” vineyard terraces, a listed heritage site. We continued te work of repairing the parts of dry-stone terraces which have eroded trough the work of weather or vegetation roots, in an effort to help Dolčina association’s programme of reviving the wine production on the site. In two days of the workshop we were joined by about 40 local participants and enthusiasts and we fixed six eroded stretches of terraces.

————————————————————-

Dry-stone workshops on Rab island
May 5 – 7th 2013 and September 6 – 8th 2013
Psychiatric hospital Rab, Kampor, island of Rab
Dragodid.org photoreport
Facebook album
Facebook time-lapse video 

This year we continued the collaboration with landscape architect Luka Jelušića and Rab psychiatric hospital trough two workshops held in May and September.

The workshops were held as a part of the wider project of improvement of hospital environment with a goal of turning it into a park space for the use of patients and staff. We have built more than 50 m of a dry-stone terrace out of particular local yellow shale, with two coves ment for sitting or lying built into the wall.

Besides 5 Dragodid members, 15 hospital employees and medical students from Rijeka University participated in the workshop in May. The workshop in September was part of landscape architecture Design & Build Studio on Washington University, Seattle, led by prof. Daniel Winterbottom and accompanied by several students of landscape architecture of Zagreb University.

————————————————————-

Dry-stone workshop Filozići 2013
June 15-16th 2013
Filozići, Cres island (Suhozid.hr link)
Facebook album 

Filozići workshop was organised for a second year in a row together with our local partner LAG Filozići Association, with a goal of improving the environment of the settlement. 6 members of Dragodid participated in the workshop, together with 5 local volunteers.

The goal for the first day of the workshop was clearing of the historical path between Filozići and the Porozina harbour, which should once again serve as the main pedestrian approach to the village. Second day was dedicated to the adaptation of a nearby karstic sinkhole into a space that will serve as an open air venue for concerts and other events.

————————————————————-

Lavender Festival 2013
June 28-29th 2013
Velo Grablje, otok Hvar (Suhozid.hr link)
Dragodid.org photoreport

For a third year in a row we have participated in a program of this remarkable event organised in village of Velo Grablje by a local association “Pjover”. As dry-stone walls have always been an irreplaceable part of local lavender cultivation, three of our members have built some demonstration dry-stone walls with the participation of local and international audience.

————————————————————-

Dry-stone workshop Kula Jankovića 2013
July 5– 7th 2013
Stojan Janković Castle, Islam Grčki
Dropbox gallery 

As a part of the project of establishing the University of Zagreb Study Centre in the rebuilt Janković Castle, students of landscape architecture were there to help reconstruct the castle’s park. We participated with a lecture on Eastern Adriatic dry-stone heritage and two-day dry-stone workshop.

————————————————————-

Dry-stone workshop Marjan
July 10 – 11th 2013
Marjan Park Foresst, Split
Dragodid.org photoreport 

As guests of Marjan Park Forest management institution, we have held a two day workshop with a goal of educating the institutions employees in building and maintenance of drystone structures. Trough the rebuilding work on the several localities in the Park Forest, they have attained the skills that will be useful in constructing and maintaining trails in this protected area.

————————————————————-

International dry-stone workshop – volunteer camp Petrebišća 2013
July 27th – August 4th 2013
Petrebišća, Općina Mošćenička Draga, Nature Park Učka (Suhozid.hr link)
Dragodid.org/D-A-Z photoreport
La Voce del Popolo article 

International workshop in Petrebišća is the central event of our workshop calendar. It is situated in the abandoned seasonal mountain settlement in which all structures were built with dry stone. Workshop concept is directed towards students, professionals and activists from various heritage fields and program is composed from both practical work and theoretical lectures. International component is provided by our collaboration with French heritage volunteer network REMPART which has included this workshop in their yearly event calendar. This was the 4^th consecutive year that Petrebišća workshop is taking place with 34 participants attending.

This year’s subject was quarrying of stone and procurement of construction wood from the surrounding area. We have reactivated the stone quarry which was traditionally used in construction of the houses in the village and extracted 8 tons of stone slates that will be used as a roof covering in further reconstruction of the Petrebišća site. This work was done with the instruction and supervision of the experienced traditional stone craftsman from the local area. Techniques and tools used in this work have been documented and will be used in our future workshops and publications. We have also cut down 12 pine trees and crafted them into beams that will be used as roof construction.

Workshop had a program of 10 lectures dealing either with general dry-stone subjects or the heritage of the surrounding area:

• Memories of life in villages of Potoška vala, Vinko Škalamera, Čakavian chair of Mošćenička Draga
• Ancient human traces on the east side of Učka mountain, Mario Zaccaria, Archeologist
• Succession of anthropogenic landscapes in Mediteranean Croatia, Vedran Lucić, Biologist, BIOM Association
• Tramuntana – remains of a past life, Grga Frangeš, Ethnologist, 4 GRADA DRAGODID
• Center for sustainable development Gerbin, Domagoj Buljan, Center for sustainable development Gerbin
• Third life of wood, Luka Jelušić, Landscape Architect
• Traditional furniture manufacture around Rječina river, Vana Gović, Ethnologist
• Dry-stone landscapes and buildings of Eastern Adriatic, Filip Šrajer, Architect, 4 GRADA DRAGODID
• SUHOZID.HR – GIS based dry-stone heritage inventory project: new developments, Filip Šrajer, Architect, 4 GRADA DRAGODID
• From the first wall: what do we know about prehistory of building on Adriatic, Stašo Forenbaher, Archeologist, Institute for Anthropology

Dry-stone workshop Northern Velebit 2013
August 19 – 24th 2013
Veliki Alan, Northern Velebit National Park (Suhozid.hr link)
Dropbox gallery

This workshop taking place in the localities in Northern Velebit National Park was partialy funded trough Natura 2000 interpretation project. Trough our work we helped the National Park authority in the maintenance of its famous Premužić path which is supported by dry stone walls and, participated in the renovation of old shepherd shelters into a new visitor attraction. The opportunity was used to train National Park personnel in dry stone construction skills. We have also used the opportunity to document the traditional process of making wooden shingles which was demonstrated by local craftsmen hired by the National Park to build the roof of the shelter. Techniques and tools used in this work have been documented and will be used in our future workshops and publications.

————————————————————-

Dry-stone workshop Tkon
September 7 – 8th 2013
Tkon, island of Pašman (Suhozid.hr link)
Zadarski list article and Dragodid.org photogallery
Facebook album – workshop
Facebook album – research 

In the dry-stone landscape around Tkon there are some valuable dry-stone shelters and other objects. Workshop in Tkon was organised by Tourist Board of Tkon and LAG Laura comprising GIS field research and rebuilding of the walls and we helped to lead it.

————————————————————-

Radionica suhozida na Velom Ižu
September 14–15th 2013
Barbinj, Veli Iž, island of Iž (Suhozid.hr link)
Dragodid.org photoreport 

As guests of a local youth group Mali Zelenachi and Maslinova gora Association we led a drystone workshop in the olive groves in Barbinj.

————————————————————-

Construction of a fireplace for Ornithology camp in Nature Park
September 15– 16th 2013
Rovozna, Mošćenička Draga Municipality, Nature park Učka
Dragodid.org report and Youtube time-lapse video 

We helped our friends in BIOM association by constructing a massive drystone fireplace for their annual ornithology camp beside Rovozna pond inUčka Nature Park. The fireplace is a major improvement to daily life and fire safety of this important research project.

————————————————————-

“Dry-stone walls of Vransko lake” & Modrave worskhop 2013
October 12– 13th 2013.
Modrave, Vransko Jezero Nature Park (Suhozid.hr link)
RTL Danas TV report
Dropbox gallery

Collaboration with Vransko Jezero Nature Park and Modrave Murter Betina association has continued into this year with a reconstruction and inventorying workshop held in agricultural landscape of Modrave. Five of our members and 15 local participants have rebuilt around 50 m of drystone wall and some of the dry-stone structures have been entered in suhozid.hr GIS database.

————————————————————-

Dry-stone renovation workshop Kotor (Crikvenica) 2013
October 19– 20th 2013
Kotor, City of Crikvenica
MGC photoreport
Novi list article 

In our first collaboration with the City Museum in Crikvenica, we have organised a renovation workshop in the historical settlement of kotor. This year, together with around 30 enthusiastic local participants we have repaired the eroded walls on the main path approaching the settlement. The workshop was deemed a success and will be continued next year.

————————————————————-

Renovation workshop on Krušovica pond
October 19– 20th 2013
Krušovica, island of Vis (Suhozid.hr link)
Article on Krušovica pond by Sanja Buble, Klesarstvo i graditeljstvo 2013.

On the same weekend but on a completely different part of the coast, we have held a renovation workshop on a Krušovica pond – an important fixture in the agricultural and pastoral landscape of the Vis island. The eroded walls supporting the hole have been rebuilt.

————————————————————-

GIS workshop Hora 2013
November 8– 10th 2013
Stari Grad Plain, island of Hvar (Suhozid.hr link)
Dragodid.org photoreport

Fourteen students of landscape architecture on University of Zagreb were researching the landscape heritage of the UNESCO World Heritage site Stari Grad Plain. Under our supervision a smaller group of them took the record of about thirty dry-stone shelters trimi for the Suhozid.hr and Conservcatory Department in Split databases.