The molika - the five-needle pine that is the symbol of Pelister and one of the most recognisable endemic trees in the Balkans - is finally getting expert protection. The government has set up a panel of experts that began work in Bitola, tasked with drawing up long-term solutions to protect and restore the molika forests, one of the most important natural ecosystems in the region.

The panel, made up of representatives from forestry, ecology and science, has to deliver concrete recommendations by the end of August 2026, with strategic programmes starting in 2027. The director of Pelister National Park, Ivančo Toševski, stressed that the new documents must „establish the health of the forests,” identify the causes of the trees' decline, and set out measures for sustainable management.

The threat is not abstract. During the winter of 2024/2025, strong winds and heavy snow caused serious damage. Analyses revealed aged sections of forest and difficult natural regeneration in certain areas. And the molika of Pelister is no ordinary tree - it is the only forest complex of its size in the entire Balkans. When you lose something like that, it is not just Pelister that loses it, but the whole region.

Over the past 18 months, around 100 hectares have gone through treatment - removing sick and dead trees to improve growing conditions. Professor Blagoj Šurbevski of the Faculty of Forestry says „detailed studies” are needed to define effective measures. It all sounds expert and reassuring. The only question is whether the recommendations due by August will stay on paper or turn into trees - because the molika doesn't read reports. It either grows or it dies.