Białowieża- “a national treasure for Poland and an international treasure for us all”
by Lewis, 19 March, 2017, 2 comments
Białowieża is a forested area that lies on the border of Poland and Belarus. It includes some 1500 sq km of some of the tallest trees to be found in Europe, including towering hornbeams. It is a species-rich area, with carnivores such a lynx and wolves, 120 bird species (including the three toed woodpecker and pygmy owl), 60+ mammal species including the bison! The area has been described as a “national treasure for Poland and an international treasure for us all”.
The tracts of forest are special as they have never been felled, though it would be wrong to think of the woodland as ‘primaeval’ like the original ‘wildwood’. The woodland / forest supports a community through tourism, timber, hunting, honey and mushrooms, not to mention scientific researchers and the staff associated with the National Park. However, only 105 square km of the forest has been designated as National Park or a Unesco Heritage Site. Read more...
