News

The Skališkės rock (cave) is one of the most interesting sites in the Neris River valley. It is on the right bank of the Neris, near Nemenčinės settlement, Vilnius district. If you want to visit the rock, you have to go several hundred of meters upstream from Skališkės village.

The following researchers have been elected members of the Scientific Council of Nature Research Centre:

• Prof. Dr. Kęstutis Arbačiauskas
• Prof. Dr. Albertas Bitinas
• Dr. Mindaugas Dagys
• Dr. Darius Daunys
• Algirdas Klimavičius
• Dr. Vaidas Palinauskas
• Prof. Dr. Algimantas Paulauskas
• Dr. Ingrida Prigodina-Lukošienė
• Dr. Valerijus Rašomavičius
• Doc. Dr. Elena Servienė
• Dr. Miglė Stančikaitė
• Prof. Dr. Edita Sužiedėlienė
• Doc. Dr. Julius Taminskas
• Habil. Dr. Gediminas Valkiūnas
• Dr. Tomas Virbickas

Half a century ago, on the 1st of June 1970, prof. Tadas Ivanauskas, academician, biologist, and a founder of many institutions, passed away T. Ivanauskas, a graduate of Sorbonne and Saint Petersburg universities, chose Lithuania as his motherland and learned the Lithuanian language. In 1918, he together with his wife Honorata opened a Lithuanian school in Musteika village, the first Lithuanian school in the region. In 1919, he established a nature research station and a zoological laboratory in Kaunas, which later became the Zoological Museum. Together with other learned persons of that time he established a university in Kaunas, put his best efforts to establish the Žuvintas Reserve (established in 1937), Kaunas Zoological Garden, and Ventės Ragas Ornithological Station. After World War II, Tadas Ivanauskas headed the Institute of Biology and delivered lectures in many higher and other education institutions. Among his numerous literary achievements, a 3-volume publication "Lietuvos paukščiai" (Birds of Lithuania) has no equal competitors so far. With many disciples and followers left, T. Ivanauskas passed away at the onset of summer.

Congratulations to Selemonas Paltanavičius, who has become the laureate of Pranas Mašiotas' Award for a book for children "Sniego žmogelių žiema" (The Winter of Little Snow Men).