The traditional harvest of the Old Olive Tree was held today in Kaštel Štafilić, where the protected natural monument, estimated to be over 1,500 years old, once again gathered numerous participants. The harvest is traditionally organised by the “Bijaći” Society and is conducted in cooperation with the City of Kaštela, the Split-Dalmatia County, the Agromediterranean Faculty of the University of Split, the Institute for the Sea and Karst, the “Mastrinka” and “Šušur” associations, the Kaštela Tourist Board, the Kaštela City Museum, the “Braća Radić” Secondary School, and the “Bijaći” Primary School.
Adults and children joined the harvest, including children from Žižula and Calimero kindergartens, students from the Bijaći Primary School, and users of the Mir Centre, alongside representatives from various associations and institutions. Participants spread nets, set up crates, collected fruit from the nets, and cleaned it of branches and leaves.
This year, the Old Olive Tree yielded approximately 200 to 250 kilograms of fruit. Staff from the Municipal Utility Service of the City of Kaštela are responsible for the larger branches, which will be handled using a crane, and ecological treatment of the branches will be carried out after the harvest.
Ivan Vicenco Pensa stated that this olive tree has always been a kind of hub connecting the city with nature and that it is the oldest tree in Kaštela. He emphasised that through such events, children are taught from a very young age to respect trees and nature.
According to him, it is important for children to understand that this tree, despite its age, still bears fruit today, and that spending time in nature has its own value. He added that they are taught how important it is to be together, to use the fruits of nature, but also to give back through care and preservation, expressing hope that there will be many more years of such harvests.
