Skinderiškis Dendrological Park

Skinderiškis Dendrological Park (Skinderiškio dendrologinis parkas) is a dendrological park (an arboretum) located in a former Skinderiškis manor site (now part of Užvarčiai village), Kėdainiai District Municipality, central Lithuania.

Location
The park is located in the Šušvė river loop and covers an area of 125 ha.

Founder and award
It was created (since 1971) by a local forester Kęstutis Kaltenis who was awarded by the prize of Lithuanian president Valdas Adamkus in 1993 for this contribution to environment protection.

Habitat for many species
The park hosts thousands of various trees and shrubs which belong to more than 1300 species. All the area is divided into different biogeographical zones: Europe, Siberia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Far East, Eastern North America and Western North America. The park is created as a landscape composition with a system of small ponds, wooden sculptures and heavy boulders.

Some rare and protected species of Lithuanian flora could be found in the park, as common ivy, dwarf birch, common yew, sessile oak. Also, various species of introduced trees and bushes grow in the park, for example varnish tree, Japanese redwood, ginkgo, Aristolochia manshuriensis, honey locust, Osage orange, Eleutherococcus, spikenard, walnut trees, various magnolias, about 60 species of maple trees (sugar maple, red maple, silver maple, field maple, Tatar maple, striped maple, etc.).

The Skinderiškis Dendrological Park hosted musical festival "Mėnuo Juodaragis" in 2014.