An article in the Irish Times by one of our guests
A journalist, Paddy Woodworth, who joined one of our five-day tours has written a beautiful piece in The Irish Times about these truly special woods. With great care, he describes the forest’s inhabitants and its complex ecological relationships, while also managing to clearly explain the intricacies of how the forest is managed. It was particularly […]
Beavers: Nature’s Water Engineers in Białowieża Forest
Our new project: how do wolves and humans shape beaver behaviour and ecosystem impacts?
Our team won a grant that to study wolf-beaver interactions over the next three years (2024-2027). The aim of the project is to understand how wolf risk and human activities shape beaver behaviour, and in turn their impacts on woody tree communities. The 1 062 124 PLN in funding from the Polish National Science Centre […]
How will Poland’s new anti-migrant border wall impact the environment?
This article first appeared on the Notes from Poland news portal. Since summer last year, Poland’s border with Belarus has been the scene of a man-made migration crisis created by the Belarusian regime. In response, the Polish government has constructed a five-metre-high wall along around half of the frontier to stymie the flow of those […]
Our new paper: Badgers remain fearless in the face of simulated wolf presence near their setts
Badgers remain fearless in the face of simulated wolf presence near their setts. So suggests our new paper published today in the journal Ecology & Evolution. In this study we investigated whether badgers vary their denning behaviour after perceiving wolves near their setts. We wanted to explore whether the transient presence of wolves shapes badger […]
Nature conservation in the Polish 2023 general election
If nature conservation is important to you, then this post may help you compare the parties’ pledges. I decided to explore what the major parties’ manifestos (programmes) say about nature. —- The manifestos reveal a change in government could welcome a new era for Polish nature. —- All three democratic opposition parties promise big, positive […]
Poland’s exclusion zone on the Belarusian border suspends normal life for residents
Amid unprecedented numbers of migrants crossing its border, the Polish government has established an exclusion zone along its eastern frontier, barring entry to non-residents, journalists and humanitarian NGOs. These unprecedented restrictions have led to a feeling of helplessness in many residents as their normal life is suspended. Despite a recent supreme court ruling that the […]
How the Jodłówka Manor reflects the Białowieża region’s dramatic 20th century history
Hidden in a glade on the outskirts of Białowieża Forest stands a piece of local heritage: a charming abandoned manor whose history is deeply intertwined with the region’s dramatic 20th century. Here follows its story. The manor’s origins The historical landscape in which the manor lies befits the tale. Here a Polish-Belarusian civilisation lives amongst […]
Poland to restart logging in Białowieża Primeval Forest
Straddling the Polish-Belarussian border in northeastern Poland, Białowieża Forest is the last of the vast primeval forest that once stretched across the European lowlands. Strictly protected for centuries by royalty as a private hunting ground, it is now a living museum of ancient natural processes replete with species extinct elsewhere. Yet despite this special status, […]
My favourite books of 2020
During last year’s tedious lockdown months I discovered some wonderful books. Here follow my favourite three. I hope folks will enjoy them as much as I did. The three books One River − by Wade Davis, anthropologist, ethnobotanist and professor at the University of British Columbia. This book is a biography of Davis’ mentor, Prof […]