Poland’s Białowieża Forest is, without a doubt, one of the last true wilderness areas in all of Europe: a relic of centuries past where iconic wildlife lost from elsewhere on the continent – Eurasian Bison, lynx, wolves and boar – roam across a landscape largely unaltered by man. It is a rather sublime place, in truth, and a somewhere I have always wanted to visit; though my ability to do so depends largely upon its continued survival.
Recently, the Polish government called for Białowieża to lose its Unesco’s natural heritage status – a move that would allow already damaging logging to be increased and the unique ecology of the site to be eroded further in the name of profit and greed. This can not be allowed to happen.
Thankfully, many noteworthy organisations have come out against plans to exploit and alter Białowieża – Greenpeace, WWF and Birdlife International amongst them – but, as ever, there is always more that can be done to ensure this spectacular place is safeguarded for future generations to enjoy. Should you feel so inclined, there is a petition you can sign to let the Polish government know that any attempt to downgrade the protected status of this special site will not be tolerated. Do it, it only takes a moment.
Cover image: By Alexandr frolov – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15273087
