About
My Story
My childhood was one big adventure. My friends and I used to spend our time exploring the nature — this was our game. Our empty heads were filled with curiosity, ideas and creativity. Everything we needed for our little research we made by ourselves. We used materials that nature offered us. Nature was our playground and we were its main actors, fearless heroes and eternal winners. We were immortal because we were certain this play will last forever. But one day, everything changed.
It was 1962 and I was only 10 years old. It was a perfect, hot summer day for exploring the underwater world, teeming with crabs, shells, fish, frogs and other animals that were yet to be discovered. We were equipped with bows and arrows to protect ourselves from imaginary cannibals living in the forest. Afraid that they could discover us we crossed the forest quietly, crawling through the high grass, then quickly ran over the cart track and hid in the bushes. Still out of breath, we spread out the map that marked the way to the brook. Then we heard a rumble. Curios, we ran towards the brook. The noise was getting louder. What’s going on? Who dared to break into our world without our knowledge? We reached the clearing. I will never forget what we saw then. The clearing was turning into one huge building site, full of dredgers and trucks that were tearing our winding brook apart and turning it into a plain, straight canal. The noise was unbearable. As we watched speechlessly, the canal was getting filled with concrete basins, one after another. We wanted to approach the building site but they stopped us — we were now banned from entering our playground, from our brook that meant everything to us. I can still hear my friend: »What are we gonna do now?« Disappointed, hopeless and not knowing what to do we went back home quiet and sad.
One full week has passed until we set out on our way to the brook again. As we walked, we stopped several times and listened. There was no noise. With courage, we ran over to the clearing. Amazing! To our surprise, there was no dredger or truck in sight. Full of joy, we ran to the brook. But — it was gone. A straight concrete canal was crossing the clearing and a thick, gray, smelly liquid was running through it. To me, the world stunk. It will be never the same again.
This dirty image has remained in my memory forever. Now, I am thankful for it. It has affected my life permanently. Without this experience, I wouldn’t be who I am today: an advocate of nature’s preservation and clean environment. I don’t drive a car, I take care of the natural environment around the house in a way that benefits animals who share this living space with me: I practice organic gardening, I don’t spray the trees, I mostly use manual gardening tools. I built and furnished my house with my own hands. I also write screenplays about social and environmental problems.
We all want to make this world a better place but there are only few who are ready to take action, let alone those who would be ready to make a sacrifice. It is all a matter of decision, will and perseverance.
That day, I made my decision and never had any regrets. I know that our future generations will know how to appreciate this
Translators in english: Maja Tihec, Rok Dovečar
My Interests
Writing film stories and articles about social and environmental problems, painting and building creative structures.
Website
www.treemotion.com
Member
BirdLife Slovenia
http://farefreeeu.blogspot.com/
http://www.care2.com/
http://repoweramerica.org
http://www.avaaz.org/en/
Loss of a Friend
Loss of a friend is heartbreaking, especially one who only gave but asked nothing in return. He helped when we needed him most. During the war, economic crisis, unemployment (1989 – 91) he gave us shelter, food, water, fresh air, shade in the summer, warmth in the winter, filled our ears with melody and our eyes with life all around us. Then came the strangers with chainsaws. The massacre took two days.
Silence. Liveless, sharp wind from the north swept across the empty landscape and the first snowflakes fell from the cloudy skies. Tears.
Never again it will be the same as it was.
It is horrible to see what greed and insanity do to our planet, our home.
Once 20.10.2007
From now on 27. 03. 2009
A list of wildflowers in my surroundings
Number of flower species I have found so far: 136
1. Agrimonia eupatoria – Agrimony
2. Ajuga reptans – Carpet Bugle
3. Allium ursinum – Wild Gerlick
4. Amaranthus lividus – Livid Amaranth
5. Ambrosia Trifida – Great Ragweed
6. Anagallis arvensis – Scarlet pimpernel
7. Anemone nemorosa L. – Wood Anemone
8. Archillea millefolium L. – Common Yarrow
9. Arctium minus – Common Burdoc
10. Artemisia vulgaris L. – Common Wormwood
11. Asarum europaeum L. – European Wild Ginger
12. Bellis perennis L. – Daisy
13. Betonica officinalis L. – Wood Betony
14. Campanula patula L – Spreading Bellflower
15. Capsella bursa-pastoris L. – Shepherd’s-purse
16. Cardamine pratensis L. – Cuckoo Flower
17. Centaurium erythraea L. – Common centaury
18. Chelidonium majus L. – Greater celandine
19. Chenopodium polyspermum – Manyseed goosefoot
20. Chrysanthemum leucanthemum – Oxeye Daisy
21. Circaea lutetiana – Enchanter’s Nightshade
22. Centaurea jacea L. – Brown knapweed
23. Cirsium vulgare L. – Bull thistle
24. Cirsium arvense L. – Creeping thistle
25. Clinopodium vulgare L. – Wild basil
26. Convallaria majalis L. - Lily-of-the valley
27. Convolvulus sepium L. – Hadge bindweed
28. Corydalis solida - Bird-in-a-bush
29. Crepis capillaris – Smoot Hawksbeard
30. Crepis biennis L. – Rough hawksbeard
31. Crocus vernus L. – Spring crocus
32. Cyclamen purpurascens – Common Cyclamen
33. Daucus corota L. - Wild Carrot
34. Dianthus armeria L. – Deptford Pink
35. Dianthus carthusianorum L. – Clusterhead Pink
36. Erigeron annuus L. - Eastern Daisy Fleabane
37. Erigeron candensis L. - Canadien Fleabane
38. Erythronium dens-canis - Dogs-Tooth Violet
39. Euphorbia cyparissias L. – Cypress spurge
40. Foeniculum vulgare - Sweet Cumin
41. Fragaria vesca L. – Wild Strawberry
42. Galanthus nivalis – Snowdrop
43. Galisonga parviflora – Gallant Soldier
44. Galium mollugo L. - Hedge Bedstraw
45. Galium verum L. – Yellow Bedstraw
46. Genista tinctoria L. – Dyer`s Greeweed
47. Geranium phaeum – Mourning Widow
48. Geranium robertianum L. – Herb Robert
49. Geum urbanum L. – Herb Bennet
50. Glechoma hederacea L. – Ground Ivy
51. Helleborus niger - Black hellebore
52. Hepatica nobilis - Round lobed
53. Iris pseudacorus L. - Yellow Iris
54. Knautia arvensis L. - Field Scabious
55. Knautia sylvatica L. - Wood Scabious
56. Lamium galeobdolon – Yellow archangel
57. Lamium maculatum – Spotted Dead Netle
58. Lapsana communis – Nipplewort
59. Lathyrus niger L. – Black pea
60. Lathyrus pratensis L. – Meadow Vetchling
61. Lathyrus sylvestris – Flat Pea
62. Lembotropis nigricans L. - Black Broom
63. Leucojum vernum L. – Spring Snowflake
64. Lotus corniculatus L. - Bird’s-foot trefoil
65. Lychnis flos-cuculi L. – Ragged Robin
66. Lychnis viscaria L. – Sticky Catch-fly
67. Lysimachia nummularia L – Creeping Jenny
68. Lysimachia punctata L. – Yellow Loosestrife
69. Lythrum salicaria L. – Purple loosestrife
70. Malva alcea L. - Vervain Mallow
71. Matricaria chamomilla L. – Camomile
72. Medicago lupulina L. - Black Medick
73. Melandrium album L. - White champion
74. Melilotus officinalis L. - Common Melilot
75. Mentha spicata L. – Spearmint
76. Oenothera biennis - Evening primrose
77. Oxalis corniculata - Creeping wood sorrel
78. Oxalis fontana L. – Common Yellow Sorrel
79. Peucedanum ostruthium L. – Masterwort
80. Plantago lanceolata L. - Narrowleaf Plantain
81. Plantago major L. – Common Plantain
82. Polygonum persicaria - Heartweed
83. Potentilla recta - Sulphur Cinquefoil
84. Potentilla reptans L. - Creeping Cinquefoil
85. Primula vulgaris L. – Primrose
86. Prunella vulgaris L. – Brunel
87. Pulmonaria officinalis – Lungwort
88. Ranunculus acris L. – Meadov Buttercup
89. Ranunculus ficaria L. – Fig Buttercup
90. Ranunculus repens L. - Creaping Buttercup
91. Rumex acetosa L. – Common Sorrel
92. Rumex acetosella L. – Sheep Sorrel
93. Rumex obtusifolius L. - Board leaved dock
94. Sanicula europaea L. – Sanicle
95. Scrophularia nodosa L. – Common Figwort
96. Silene nutans L. – Backglim
97. Silene vulgaris L. - Bladder campion
98. Solidago virgaurea – Golden rot
99. Tanacetum vulgare L. - Common Tansy
100. Taraxacum officinale L.- Common Dandelion
101. Thymus serpyllum L. – Wild Thyme
102. Tragopogon pratensis L. - Yellow Goat’s Beard
103. Trifolium pratense L. - Purple clover
104. Hypericum perforatum - Round lobet
105. Veronica chamaedrys – Bird-eye
106. Veronica officinalis – Heath Speedwel
107. Urtica dioica – Stinging Nettle
108. Tussilago farfara – Colts foot
109. Verbascum chaixii – Chaix’ mullein
110. Verbascum blattaria – Moth mullein
111. Convolvulus arvensis – Common bindweed
112. Viola odorata – Sweet Violet
113. Stellaria media - Common Chickweed
114. Viola elatior – Great violet
115. Vinca minor – Draft periwinkle
116. Cichorium intybus- Common chicory
117. Chrysosplenium alternifolium- Alternate-leaved Golden-saxifrage
118. Malva sylvestris – Common Mallow
119. Gnaphalium uliginosum – Cudweed
120. Solidago canadensis - Canadian goldenrod
121. Dentaria bulbifera – Coral root
122. Sonchus asper – Prickly sow thistle
123. Leucanthemum vulgare – Moon Daisy
124. Cardamine hirsuta – Hairy Bitter-cress
125. Stachys sylvatica – Hedge Woundwort
126. Scabiosa triandra – Southern scabious
127. Vicia cracca – Cow vetch
128. Sedum sexangulare- Tasteless Stonecrop
129. Campanula persicifolia – Peach-leaved Bellflower
130. Chenopódium álbum – Fat hen
131. Galium aparine – Bedstraw
132. Polygonum aviculare – Common knot grass
133. Trifolium arvense – Hare’s foot
134. Chenopódium hýbridum – Maple-leaved Goosefoot
135. Gentiana asclepiadea- Willow Gentian
136. Epilobium parviflorum – Small flowered willow herb
Birds in my neighborhood
- Nesting birds
1. Upupa epops
Hoopoe 1980-1982
2. Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Redstart 1991,1995
3. Erithacus rubecula
Robin 1992
4. Parus major
Great tit 1994-….
5. Passer domesticus
Sparrow 1999-….
6. Turdus merula
Blackbird 1980-….
7. Sitta europaea
Nuthatch 1982,1983
8. Sylvia atricapilla
Blackcap 1996, 2001
9. Sturnus vulgaris
Starling 1985-2010
10. Columba palumbus
Wood Pigeon 2002
11. Carduelis chloris
Greenfinch 2007-2010
12. Cyanistes caeruleus
Bluetit 1989-2005
13. Phoenicurus ochruros
Black Redstart 2011
The Birds that visit us
1. Garrulus glandarius – Jaybird
2. Periparus ater – Coal Tit
3. Picus viridus – Green Woodpecker
4. Lophophanes cristatus – Crested Tit
5. Dendrocopus major – Great Spotted Woodpecker
6. Dendrocopos medius – Middle Spotted Woodpecker
7. Regulus regulus - Goldcrest
8. Passer montanus – Tree Sparrow
9. Troglodytes troglodytes - Wren
10. Fringilla coelebs – Chaffinch
11. Spinus spinus – Siskin
12. Carduelis carduelis – Goldfinch
13. Aegithalos caudatus -Tailed tit
14. Pyrrhula pyrrhula – Bullfinch
15. Motacilla alba – Pied Wagtail
16. Corvus corone corone – Carrion crow
17. Turdus pilaris – Fieldfare
18. Turdus philomelos - Song Thrush
19. Pica pica - Magpie
20. Phoenicurus ochruros – Black Redstart
21. Corvus corone cornix – Hooded Crow
22. Fringilla montifringilla – Brambling
23. Oriolus oriolus – Golden Oriole
24. Acanthis flammea – Common Redpoll
Alpine flowers – Published by L. Schwentner in 1910 in Ljubljana
Illustrations: Author unknown
1. Atragene alpina – Clematis alpina
2. Anemone sulfurea – Sulphur-yellow Anemone
3. Anemone alpina – Alpine anemone
4. Anemone narcissiflora – Narcissus anemone
5. Ranunculus parnassifolius – Parnassus-leaved Buttercup
6. Ranunculus glacialis – Glacier buttercup
7. Ranunculus pyrenaeus – Pyrenean buttercup
8. Anemone baldensis – Mt. Baldo windrose
9. Ranunculus montanus – Mountain buttercup
10. Ranunculus alpestris – Alpine buttercup
11. Ranunculus akonitifolius – Aconite-leaf buttercup
12. Ranunculus crenatus – Crenate Buttercup
13. Ranunculus Thora – Thora buttercup
14. Aquilegia alpina – Alpine Columbines
15. Aconitum Napellus – Monkshood
16. Aconitum Anthora – Yellow Monkshood
17. Nasturtium pyrenaicum – Pyrenean Watercress
18. Papaver alpinum – Alpine poppy
19. Arabis alpina – Alpine rock-cress
20. Petrocallis pyrenaica – Pyrenean Whitlow-grass
21. Biscutella laevigata – Buckler Mustard
22. Draba aizoides – Yellow Whitlow Grass
23. Alyssum Wulfenianum – Wulfen’s Madwort
24. Thlaspi alpinum – Alpine Shepherd’s-purse
25. Viola alpina – Alpine Violet
26. Viola calcarata – Long Spurred Viola
27. Viola biflora – Alpine Yellow-violet
28. Polygala Chamaebuxus – Shrubby Milkwort
29. Dianthus glacialis – Glacier pink
30. Dianthus alpinus – Alpine pink
31. Silene Pumillio – Lesser catchfly
32. Saponaria ocymoides – Rock Soapwort
33. Silene saxifraga – Saxifrage Catchfly
34. Silene rupestris – Rock Campion
35. Alsine laricifolia – Larch-leaved Chickweed
36. Lychnis alpina – Alpine Catchfly
37. Arenaria grandiflora – Alpine Sandwort
38. Cerastium alpinum – Alpine Mouse-ear
39. Linum alpinum – Alpine Flax
40. Silene acaulis – Moss campion
41. Hypericum Coris - St. Johnswort
42. Geranium macrorrhizum – Bigroot geranium
43. Trifolium alpinum – Alpine clover
44. Trifolium badium – Brown Clover
45. Phaca frigida -
46. Oxytropis montana – Locoweed
47. Hedysarum obscurum – Creeping-Rooted Hedysarum
48. Dryas octopetala – Mountain avens
49. Rosa alpina – Alpine rose
50. Aronia rotundifolia – Round-leaved Aronia
51. Rhodiola rosea – Golden Root
52. Epilobium rosmarinifolium – Willowherbs
53. Sempervivum arachnoideum – Cobweb houseleek
54. Sempervivum Wulfenii – Yellow Houseleek
55. Sempervivum montanum – Mountain Houseleek
56. Saxifraga Aizoides – Yellow Mountain Saxifrage
57. Saxifraga caesia – Grey-Green Saxifrage
58. Eryngium alpinum – Alpine Sea Holly
59. Aster alpinus – Aster alpinus
60. Erigeron alpinus – Alpine Fleabane
61. Achillea nana – Dwarf Yarrow
62. Gnaphalium Leontopodium - Edelweis
63. Doronicum condifolium – Heart-leaved leopard
64. Anthemis alpina – Alpine camomile
65. Aronicum glaciale -
66. Arnica montana – Mountain arnica
67. Mulgedium alpinum -
68. Senecio abrotanifolius – Pinnate Leaved Ragwort
69. Hieracium aurantiacum – Orange hawkweed
70. Phyteuma comosum - Devil’s Claw
71. Campanula barbata – Bearded Bellflower
72. Campanula pulla – Dark Bellflower
73. Vaccinium Vitis idaea – Cowberry
74. Arctostaphylos alpina – Alpine Bearberry
75. Erica carnea – Winter flowering heathers
76. Rhododendron hirsutum – Hairy Alpenrose
77. Gentiana acaulis – Stemless gentian
78. Gentiana bavarica – Bavarian Gentian
79. Pirola uniflora – One-flowered Wintergreen
80. Rhododendron ferrugineum – Rusty-leaved alpenrose
81. Gentiana lutea – Great Yellow Gentian
82. Gentiana ascepiadea – Willow Gentian
83. Gentiana punctata – Spotted gentian
84. Gentiana purpurea – Purple Gentian
85. Gentiana verna – Spring Gentian
86. Gentiana ciliata – Fringed Gentian
87. Erinus alpinus – Fairy Foxglove
88. Linaria alpina – Alpine toadflax
89. Wulfenia carinthiaca - Cow’s Footstep
90. Paederota Bonarota – Blaue Paederote
91. Pedicularis rostrata -
92. Primula villosa – Mountain Primula
93. Primula longiflora – Long-flowered Primrose
94. Primula ferinosa – Bird’s-eye primrose
95. Cortus Matthioli – Alpine bells
96. Cyclamen europaeum – European Cyclamen