More than four hundred children took part in the Day of the Big Forest on Thursday, organized by NYÍRERDŐ Zrt.’s Debrecen Forestry Directorate. This was the sixth edition of the Week of the Big Forest in Debrecen, held with the participation of numerous organizations to raise awareness about the importance and value of forests. Two years ago, the Debrecen Big Forest was voted the most beautiful forest in Hungary in a national poll launched by the Ministry of Agriculture.
The celebration opened with a performance by folk singer Ildikó Bárdosi and violinist Miklós Molnár, followed by a special address from Zoltán Gencsi, forestry specialist at NYÍRERDŐ Zrt. and president of the local branch of the Hungarian Forestry Association. He recalled that 86 years ago, on October 10, 1939, a 31-hectare section in the northeastern part of the forest was declared protected — becoming the first entry in Hungary’s Nature Conservation Register.
After the speeches, representatives of the City of Debrecen, the University of Debrecen, the Debrecen Heritage Committee, the Hortobágy National Park Directorate, the Tiszántúl Water Management Directorate, the Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office’s Forestry Supervision Department, the Nagyerdőért Association, the Hungarian Forestry Association, and NYÍRERDŐ Zrt. laid wreaths at the “Rebirth of Nature” memorial column located in the forestry courtyard.
The most popular activities of the day once again included hunting dog breed demonstrations led by regional chief hunters and professional hunters from the Ministry of Agriculture. Throughout the morning, children enjoyed a wide variety of engaging programs — from craft workshops, gingerbread making, and woodcarving demonstrations to interactive environmental sessions by the Zöld Kör of Hajdúböszörmény and performances by the Kuckó Art Workshop.
Participants also tried archery, took part in tug-of-war competitions, visited the Nature Museum’s hunting exhibition, and captured memorable moments in photographer Ferkó Kádár’s photo theater.
(NYÍRERDŐ Nyírségi Erdészeti Zrt.)
