There is to be a change in the route of the annual fundraising Orchid walk , due to take place next month.

The ninth event organized to raise money for the  Cancer Research Foundation (CRF)  and Prostate Cancer Research Fund will take place  on February 12.

However, this year the walk will commence at a location close to Arapkoy- above Acapulco Hotel and  in Catalkoy.

Traditionally, it has been held between the village of Kozan and Karsiyaka,  to the north-west of the island.

Sabire Djamgoz, of the CRF, said: “We are very excited that the walk will take place at a different location this year and we expect a good turn-out.

“It is a very important event for raising cancer    awareness and indeed a healthy day for many who take a scenic walk of 15 miles among the orchids of North Cyprus. We would like to thank all our sponsors, particularly our main sponsor, Catalkoy Municipality, for their support.”

T-shirts for the day will also be provided to entrants.

Guliz Onkal , one of the organizers, added:” The cost of taking part has been set at 30 TL and food and drinks will be provided. Participants need to buy their tickets in advance by contacting us and then they can get a coach from either of two places.”

Coaches will take participants to the starting point from The Ship Inn Hotel, Girne and the Ataturk Sports Centre in Lefkosa, leaving at 8.30am.

For more information, call Guliz on 0533 857 3408.

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Cyprus’rich and varied  natural life is the focus of dedicated  and expert  professionals fighting  for its conservation.

Taking a walk along one of Troodos’ nature trails reveals the significant range  and diversity of Cyprus’ flora and fauna , many of which are rare or endangered  species protected by European directives and international conventions.

A project titled  Establishment of a Plant Micro-Reserve (PMR) Network in Cyprus for the Conservation of Priority Species and Habitats  was lauched last year by a consortium  of  committed organizations, with the aim of improving the conservation status of for priority species and two priority habitat types on the island.

As update on the project’s progress was recently presented at a bi-communal workshop organized jointly by UNDP-ACT and Frederick University, featuring the participation of 50 Greek Cypriot  and Turkish Cypriot nature conservation experts.

The PMR project titled  Establishment of a Plant Micro-Reserve Network in Cyprus for the Conservation of Priority Species  and Habitats  , started in January 2010. Implemented within the framework of the European LIFE+programme, it has a forty-two-month duration , focusing on the conservation of four priority plant species and two priority habitat types of Cyprus through the establishment, monitoring and management of a network of five Plant Micro-Reserves.

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Cyprus tulip (Tulipa Cypria) is a Cyprus endemic, belonging  to the Liliaceae family. It ıs a perennial bulb plant. It grows in the  pastures around the Tepebaşı(Yorgoz) and Avtepe village and in the Akamas area.

The deep-red flower ıs on a 30cm stalk and blossoms can be seen in March-April months.   Cyprus  tulip is under protection and picking is forbidden. The absence of references to this endemic tulip species in the ancient literature suggests that Cyprus Tulip may be a recent sutant of a species which have arrived at the island within the last 300-400 years.

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A sculpture of one of the TRNC`s rare orchids was unveiled on Saturday as crowds gathered for the first ever Hisarkoy Orchid Festival.

The representation of the punctate orchid- one of 31 species of orchid endemic to Cyprus- has been created by Bahire Korol, Hulya Dimililer and Ceylan Dimililer, and occupies pride of place now in the village square.

Speaking at the unveiling of the sculpture, Lapta Mayor Fuat Namsoy said the artwork would become the symbol of Hisarkoy.

Mr Namsoy said most of the orchids unique to Cyprus grew around Hisarkoy and the importance of the village as a major attraction for tourists needed to be grasped.

It was important, he added, to instil in people an understanding of the need to protect orchids, and this was the reason behind the festival, staged by Lapta Municipality in tandem with Hisarkoy`s muhtar and the village`s Culture and Sports Association.

Festival activities after the unveiling included folk dance shows and a display by the Kibris Liners.

Flowers, various foods, jewellery and drinks were on sale at the event, which was attended by dignitaries including Finance Minister Ersin Tatar, Girne District Officer Gurkan Kara, Alsancak Mayor Yucel Atakara and UBP Girne deputy Mehmet Tancer.

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A rare of tulip was spotted this week  for the first time in a mountain area in Cyprus , the Forestry Department has announced.

Natura lovers and researchers George and Fani Constantinou guided Forestry Department officers to a spot where the rare Polemi Tulip(TulipaAgenensis) was found for the first time at a high altitude (1.271m) in the Pitsillia mountain range.

The Forestry Department said the tulip is still in bloom, a month later than usual because of the high altitude.

So far, the plant was known to be found in Polemi. Stroumbi and Phyti villages in the Paphos district and to a lesser extent in Monagri village in Limassol.

The new spot in the  Pitisilia area has tulips growing in vineyards as in Polemi and Stroumbi.

As a rare and threatened plant , the tulip is referred to as vulnerable in the Red Data book of the Cyprus Flora, according to the internatrionally accepted IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Natura).

“My wife Fani and I went for research in the mountains of Pitsilla and found the tulips while walking. This is a rare flower, usually growing in Polemi village.

“At a first glance, it seems it is the rare Tulipa Agenensis.

“This is an important discovery because it is the first reference to this rare type of tulip growing  at bsuch a high high altitude,” George told.

“We immediately informed Lefteris Hadjistercotis, environment officer at the Interior Ministry and George Hadjikyriakou, specialising in plants of Cyprus. we then informed Takis Tsintides of the Forestry Department and went along to the spot with Forestry Department experts.

“The area where the tulip grows is very small and it has to be protected.

“The plants found are estimated to be around 500 including small plants,” he added.

The plant is rare because it is threatened and it is important that we found a new spot.”

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