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The 300,000 hectare Bialowieza forest on the border between Poland and Belarus is one of Europe's most important nature conservation areas and has been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site since 1979. This former hunting ground of the Russian tsars is today home to 900 European bisons, elks, wolves, lynx and deer. With more than 250 bird species, 59 mammals and over 12,000 invertebrates, Bialowieza is one of Central Europe's biodiversity centres, attracting tourists from all over the world.
The 300,000 hectare Bialowieza forest on the border between Poland and Belarus is one of Europe's most important nature conservation areas and has been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site since 1979. This former hunting ground of the Russian tsars is today home to 900 European bisons, elks, wolves, lynx and deer. With more than 250 bird species, 59 mammals and over 12,000 invertebrates, Bialowieza is one of Central Europe's biodiversity centres, attracting tourists from all over the world. Despite this biological richness, the Polish Ministry of the Environment is secretly allowing an increasing amount of timber to be felled in Bialowieza - officially under the pretext of combating the bark beetle. The money from the logging is flowing directly into the coffers of the national conservative government.
Since mid-May, Polish environmentalists have been staging protests against the logging. Activists have chained themselves to trees and timber-harvesting machines on several occasions. But Poland's "Minister of the Environment" Jan Szyszko is proving stubborn. Only international pressure can prompt Poland to back down.
Il Bruno Manser Fond ask you to di sign a petition for the integral protection of the Bialowieza primeval forest, whose entire area should be declared a national park.
Since mid-May, Polish environmentalists have been staging protests against the logging. Activists have chained themselves to trees and timber-harvesting machines on several occasions. But Poland's "Minister of the Environment" Jan Szyszko is proving stubborn. Only international pressure can prompt Poland to back down.
Il Bruno Manser Fond ask you to di sign a petition for the integral protection of the Bialowieza primeval forest, whose entire area should be declared a national park.