The Białowieża Forest, a massive woodland across Poland and Belarus which is home to some of Europe’s most fragile protected species such as the European bison, is a high priority visit for many tourists in Poland.
Since December 21, 1921, one sixth of the Polish part of Białowieża Forest has been under special protection as a national park.
This year’s celebrations of the centenary of protection include online lectures, contests for children, educational campaigns in social media as well as a special conference aiming to summarize “the current state of research on the objects of protection in the Białowieża National Park and questions about the future of its protection”.
Several cyclical events such as a mushroom exhibition and an amphibian protection campaign are also planned as part of the celebrations.
“We want to emphasize the role of nature not only in the life of every human being, but also of mankind as a whole, for example through the scope of climate change, the disappearance of species, the shrinking of natural habitats, and problems caused by pollution”, the park said in a statement.
The Białowieża National Park encompasses an area of around 10,500 hectares. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1979.
(jh)
Source: PAP