Čepkeliai Marsh
{{Short description|Nature reserve in Lithuania}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Čepkeliai Marsh
| photo = Čepkeliai_(didzi_bala)_nuo_Musteikos.JPG
| photo_alt =
| photo_caption = Čepkeliai marsh
| photo_width =
| map=Lithuania
| relief=yes
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| map_width =
| location = Varėna District Municipality, Lithuania
| nearest_city =
| coordinates = {{coord|54|0|N|24|31|E|display=inline,title|region:LT_type:waterbody}}
| coords_ref =
| area = {{convert|11212|ha|abbr=on}}
| refnum =
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body =
| embedded = {{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_offname = Čepkeliai mire
| designation1_date = 20 August 1993
| designation1_number = 625{{Cite web|title=Cepkeliai mire |website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/625|accessdate=25 April 2018}}
| designation2 = Ramsar
| designation2_offname = Kotra
| designation2_date = 21 October 2002
| designation2_number = 1216{{Cite web|title=Kotra|website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1216|accessdate=25 April 2018}}}}
}}
The Čepkeliai Marsh ({{langx|lt|Čepkelių raistas}}) is the largest bog (a mire) in Lithuania. Located in Varėna District Municipality, south of Marcinkonys village and north of Kotra River, which flows along the Belarus–Lithuania border in this area. Its area is a nature reserve and a Ramsar site.
Protected status
The area of the swamp is protected as a state nature reserve (Čepkēliai Reserve), with its administration in Marcinkonys, and part of the cross-border wetlands of international importance: Kotra-Cepkeliai Transboundary Ramsar Site established in 2010. It consists of the Kotra Ramsar site in Belarus (designated in 2002) and the Čepkeliai Mire Ramsar site in Lithuania (designated in 1993). In 2011 the Čepkeliai Nature Reserve together with Dzūkija National Park were certified as PAN parks. [http://www.cepkeliai-dzukija.lt Čepkeliai-Dzūkijos PAN Park], retrieved 21 January 2015
The bog itself covers an area of {{convert|5858|ha}}, while the larger area of {{convert|11212|ha}} which also includes some neighboring sections of the Dainava Forest is declared as the Čepkeliai Nature Reserve. It was created in 1975, and is protected since 1960 (initially as a botanical-zoological sanctuary). It is also part of Natura 2000, the European ecological network.
Nature
Most of Čepkeliai is a raised bog while there are some smaller areas of a fen and flooded forests. There are 21 small bog lakes in the area, some of them are Glacial Age relicts, remnants of larger lakes that have been swamped. The largest of them is the {{ill|Ešerinis|lt|Ešerinis (Varėna district, Kaniava sen.)}}. A peat stratum is of 5–6 meters of thickness.
It grows a lot of cranberries, wild rosemaries, heather. The reserve is a sanctuary for cranes, white-tailed eagles, black grouses, heather cocks, mountain hares, martens, smooth snakes.
Visiting
The Čepkeliai Marsh is closed for visiting, except from the observation tower and an educational trail by the edge of the marsh south to Marcinkonys village. The track was closed since June 2021. Cranberry and mushroom picking is allowed for 10 days in early September for residents of the nearby villages with a permit, for personal use only.Justina Maciūnaitė, [https://www.delfi.lt/grynas/gamta/arteja-spanguoliavimo-sezonas-kur-uogauti-ir-kokio-derliaus-laukti.d?id=78862485 Artėja spanguoliavimo sezonas: kur uogauti ir kokio derliaus laukti] ("Cranberry season is approaching: where to pick berries and what harvest to expect"), delfi.lt, August 21, 2018
Etymology
The name Čepkeliai comes from a personal name {{langx|lt|*Čepkus, *Čepkelis}}, i. e. Čepkáuskas, Čepkẽvičius, {{langx|pl|Czepka, Czepko}}, {{langx|be|Чепко|Čepko}}, which is a form of name Szczepan. As at the beginning of 20th century, this name was used only for small western part of the bog. The main part was called {{langx|pl|Ruska Puszcza}} ("Russian woodland") in Slavic maps. Local Lithuanian name for this swampy and forested region was Gudo Šalis ("The Land of Gud").{{cite book
|last= Šimkus
|first= Šarūnas
|author-link=
|date=2023
|title= Varėnos krašto vietovardžių etimologinis žodynas
|url=
|location=Vilnius
|publisher= Liutauras Leščinskas
|page= 14
|isbn= 978-609-447-388-3
|volume=
|language = Lithuanian
}}
Gallery
Čepkelių viržynė.JPG|A heath in Čepkeliai
Čepkeliai, gailiai.JPG|Wild rosemaries
Čepkeliai. Pušų retmiškis.JPG|Pine forest by the edge of the raised bog
Spanguolės ir saulašarės Čepkeliuose.JPG|Cranberries and sundews on peat moss
Čepkeliai Observation Tower, 2016.jpg | Observation tower
Balno (Šėkinio) ežeras.JPG|Balnas lake in the territory of Čepkeliai Marsh
References
{{commonscat|Čepkeliai Marsh}}
{{Reflist|refs=
| last = Kunskas
| first = Rimvydas
| encyclopedia = Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija
| title = Čepkelių raistas
| trans-title =
| url = https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/cepkeliu-raistas/
| access-date = 26 April 2021
| language = Lithuanian
| date = 2001–2015
| publisher = Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas
| location = Vilnius
}}
| last = Paltanavičius
| first = Selemonas
| encyclopedia = Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija
| title = Čepkelių rezervatas
| trans-title =
| url = https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/cepkeliu-rezervatas/
| access-date = 26 April 2021
| language = Lithuanian
| date = 2001–2015
| publisher = Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas
| location = Vilnius
}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cepkeliai Marsh}}
Category:Wetlands of Lithuania