10 years of HAgMD

The Croatian Agrometeorological Society (HAgMD) celebrates ten years since its founding on June 13, 2012, and was entered in the Register of Associations of the Republic of Croatia on September 19, 2012. It was founded by 24 experts and scientists in meteorology, agronomy and forestry to promote and improve all branches of the agrometeorological sciences. Although it is a young society, its diverse and rich activity is recognized by the public. HAgMD is continuously implementing Agrometeorology in the Service of Users (ASK) and Agrometeorological Mosaic for Youth (AMM) projects.

Since 2013, the ASK project has held seven agrometeorological workshops and 39 seminars on the impact of climate change on agricultural production and forest fire protection to various users: farmers, agronomists, foresters, firefighters, high school students and agronomy and forestry students. Since education should start with the youngest, within the MMA project, a short-animated film "Fire is no joke" was made in 2016, and a year later a children's comic of the same title for children aged 3 to 11. The film was presented on Lokrum, an island rich in history and biodiversity on September 29, 2016, as well as in the Journalists' House in Zagreb on April 5, 2017. 151 Small School "Fire is no joke" was held in 68 places, in 35 kindergartens and 77 primary and district schools where about 7400 children and students are covered. The picture can most clearly show children the dangers of forest fires and their consequences for nature: the destruction of flora and fauna, soil stripping, destruction of landscapes and long-term restoration of vegetation and forests. The animated film was screened at domestic agrometeorological workshops and seminars, and the English version of the film at international agrometeorological workshops in Ljubljana, Novi Sad, Vienna, Budapest and Macquarie University in Sydney. About 850 adults were included.

As part of the project Microclimatic measurements and simulations for defining threatened areas for agriculture and wildfires (MMS), mobile measurements were carried out by bicycle and car on the islands of Hvar and Korčula from August 7 to 13, 2013. The main goal of the project was to apply the climate model Muklimo_3 developed in the German Meteorological Service (DWD) to determine threatened areas with regard to extreme climate conditions. In this way, economic losses in agricultural production would be mitigated and preventive measures to protect vegetation against fire would be improved.

On the occasion of the International Year of Soil and World Soil Day, HAgMD together with the Scientific Council for Nature Protection of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts organized the Round Table "Climate, Soil, Water and Agriculture" in Zagreb on December 4, 2015. The main conclusion was that agricultural production is not can be left to chance, it is necessary to bring agrometeorological research closer to agronomic experts and farmers and show how agrometeorology can help modern agriculture in food production.

Since 2017, Croatian Tree of the Year competitions have been held and their winner represents the Republic of Croatia at the European Tree of the Year. The Croatian organizer and coordinator of the competition is the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Nature Areas of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, which together with its partners, the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Zagreb, Croatian Forests and HAgMD successfully organize these competitions.

Important anniversaries: 140 years of the first Croatian meteorological and agrometeorological textbook, and 60 years of the beginning and 30 years of continuous broadcasting of the agrometeorological forecast were marked by HAgMd at the Geophysics Department of the Faculty of Science and Mathematics in Zagreb on June 13, 2018. After a presentation on the history of agrometeorology and the development of agrometeorological forecasting, plaques and awards were presented to deserving persons.

HAgMD was also the initiator of the organization of the Symposium "160 years of the Hvar Meteorological Station" in Hvar on October 12, 2018. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) included the synoptic station Hvar in the list of world centennial stations. The gathering was attended by guests from the Austrian and Czech Meteorological Service, Dr. Maja Žuvela-Aloise, Dr. Elisabeth Koch and Dr. Lenka Hajkova and about 50 Hvar residents, islanders and students of the Hvar High School. A Poceedings of Abstracts in Croatian and English was also published.

On November 20, 2020, HAgMD published the first book "Plants that tell the weather" by our member Marko Vučetić. The special feature of the book is the interweaving of ancient myths, folk beliefs with scientific knowledge about weather and plants. The book includes eight chapters and all of them are accompanied by rich photographs, mostly taken by the book's author. The book presentations were held in Križevci on March 18, 2021, Hvar on August 19, 2021 and Zagreb on October 27, 2021.

All of these HAgMD events were accompanied by the publication of articles or interviews in professional journals and on websites, and participation in radio and TV programs.

HAgMD held 42 meetings of the Steering Committee and 18 annual assemblies and currently has 76 members. Former President of HAgMD, Dr. Višnja Vučetić participated in the preparations for the establishment of the Global Federation of Agrometeorological Societies (Global FAMS) on Jeju Island in South Korea in 2013 and in Antalya in Turkey in 2014. HAgMD organized the international meeting of the Working Group WG2 COST Action ES 1106 in Dubrovnik from 20 to 21 March 2014. The aim of the meeting was the presentation of the results and preparation of the report of the EU project that lasted in the period 2012-2016. The current President of HAgMD, Prof. Damir Barčić was elected to the Executive Board of the International Society for Agrometeorology (INSAM). Professional excursions to Križevci and Kalnik (2013), Konavle (2014), Neretva delta (2015), Karlovac (2017), Zavižan (2018) and Papuk (2019) were organized for HAgMD members. The last two trips were made in cooperation with the Croatian Meteorological Society.

May 29 was chosen as the Day of Agrometeorology because it seemed suitable for its celebration in different parts of Croatia. It is true, maybe nothing important happened in agrometeorology that day, but we later found out that on May 29, 1953 a man conquered the highest peak in the world for the first time. There is also some symbolism! Our little Society is slowly developing and climbing, and we all hope that one day it will reach the top.

Dr. Višnja Vučetić