Importance of natural rarities
Natural rarities are part of animate and inanimate nature and as objects of nature they are under special state protection because of their importance for scientific, aesthetic, health and other purposes, and their cultural, educational, tourism and recreational function.
Natural rarities are part of the natural heritage of one country. Natural heritage is parts of nature and sites that consist of geological, physical-geographic or biological formations or a group of such formations, which are exceptionally valuable from an aesthetic, conservationist or scientific point of view.
Natural heritage could be a protected area, a strictly protected or protected wildlife, characteristic minerals and fossils, speleological sites or natural rarities.
In our country natural rarities are regulated with the Law on Nature Conservation. Thus, natural rarities can be certain rare, endangered and endemic species of plants and animals, their parts and communities, relief forms, geological profiles, paleontological and speleological objects. Relief formations, geological profiles, paleontological and speleological objects can be declared natural rarities if their surface is smaller than 100 hectares. The purpose of natural rarities is to protect important sites in the country.
In 2019 the network of protected areas in the Bregalnica region was expanded with the declaration of four new localities as natural rarities. The oak tree from Beli and the mulberry tree from Lesnovo are the oldest specimens of these trees and among the oldest trees in the country, the profile in Zvegor is one of the most important geological profiles, while Stamer is a unique site, rich in Pikermian fauna which bears witness about the way our country looked like several million years ago.
