Argonaut and Murter got a cheerful gardener.

The Argonaut Association together with the Municipality of Murter-Kornati and other local and regional stakeholders (Šibenik City Museum, Murter-Kornati Agricultural Cooperative, Murter-Kornati Tourist Board, Murtela Municipal Company, Latinsko idro association, etc.) has been implementing various programs since 2010. , projects and activities that transform the Colentum archeological site into an archeological park, which offers interesting content to visitors, such as belvedere treehouse, wooden Instagram swing Murter <3 #colentum, a monument to volunteering, archeological beach, and the like.

One of the programs that contribute to the valorization of Colentum and other public spaces in Murter is the Public Works programs which, with the help of active employment measures of the Croatian Employment Service, Argonaut conducts public benefit activities in accordance with registered activities of the association.

The space of the archeological park is getting wider and we thought that it would be useful to hire a person who could ensure with his work that the whole space remains clean and accessible to visitors.

Also, the former military zone on the hill Raduč, is a public space that visitors are increasingly visiting for a beautiful view of the entire Murter archipelago. It is a large area that needs to be kept clean and keep vegetation (trees and shrubs) as much as cultivated.

Thus, as part of this year’s Public Work Program, which we called the Happy Gardener, our team was joined by Stipe Markov, a 50-year-old Murter resident with an interesting biography.

Stipe, better known to the locals of Murter as Batman, is a defender of the Homeland War, a firefighter, a former caterer, and a voluntary donor of blood that he has given over 70 times so far!

“I applied because I didn’t have much choice. Until now, I worked as a firefighter over the summer, but due to circumstances, the fire brigade in Murter was abolished, so I had to find a replacement. on Raduč to look cultivated and tidy. He also assists Argonaut international volunteers in arranging a public garden located behind the infirmary.

He says that it is not too physically hard work, and the experience he gained in maintaining the camp in Slanica when he did a similar job helps him in it.

In addition to being adept with gardening tools, Stipe also has a very interesting hobby. Namely, in his free time, he carves an olive tree and makes various figures and vessels from it, most often as gifts to friends. “I like to cultivate olives because they are a very grateful tree. Especially that part to the root “, says Stipe, called Batman, whom we simply had to ask where he got this interesting nickname from.

During the war, I got it from my superior, who after falling from a drystone wall where I had beaten my ribs, knee, and shoulder, visited me in the hospital and asked “What is it, Batman, did you fly tonight?” Since then, my code name has changed to Batman. , and when I came home, everyone kept calling me Batman, buying me cups, ashtrays, and T-shirts for Batman and that’s how it has remained to this day “, Stipe tells us.

The Municipality of Murter-Kornati also supported this program and provided Stipe with materials and tools for work that reduced unemployment in the OMC, and increased care for green and public areas under the direction of this nice and hard-working man.