Research+trips

media type="youtube" key="xnjZp8TJEk0" width="648" height="533" align="center"

KAMPINOS NATIONAL PARK Deceber 2011

Kampinos Forest is located in the heart of Poland, on Mazovian Lowland. In prehistoric times, and partly also in historic times, the Mazovian Lowland was totally covered with impenetrable forest, today in almost totally deforested and strongly urbanized landscape of Mazovia, Kampinos Forest is a specific oasis of life, an island of wild nature. This is the land where the everlasting routes of plants and animals meet along the valleys of Vistula, Narew, and Bug Rivers – the ecological corridors of European importance. Kampinos National Park was established in 1959, the area of the park is 38,544 hectares. The landscape park, extremely diverse, is dominated by two contrasting elements - sand dunes and marshes. Park is an area of Natura 2000 sites and Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO MAB). The biggest predator in the Forest is the lynx. These animals were exterminated about 200 years ago, and only recently they have been reintroduced due to an experiment started in 1992. Lynxes are secretive animals, active since dusk to dawn, occasionally also during the day. They feed on vertebrate animals of various sizes – from amphibians and small rodents to birds and large mammals, especially roe deers. Only the lucky manage to see the lynx in the forest, it is easier to find traces of his presence, especially if you wander through the forest with a guide from the Education Centre. It is much easier to meet in the wilderness the elk, the largest mammal living here.

=**Slovakia, Tatara Mountains**= =**February 2012**= media type="youtube" key="zzB0Z8X9x6k" width="609" height="504" align="center"

=The Bieszczady National Park= =Jun 2012=

Why go to the Bieszczady Mountains? The Bieszczady mountains, part of the Outer East Carpathians, are the wildest mountain range in Central Europe. Bieszczady is the Polish name for a mountain range in the extreme south-east of Poland, extending into Ukraine and Slovakia. The area has the lowest population density in Poland, only some 5-10 inhab./km2 The Bieszczadzki National Park was established on August 4, 1973. Over the past few years, the Park has been enlarged significantly and now totals at 27,064 ha with forests covering most of its area (64%). The Park includes parts of the Bieszczady Mountains. The Bieszczady National Park has been registered on the list of the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage and is a part of UNESCO East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve since 1992. Bieszczady are famous for wide meadows and grassy alms where unique animals can be found, such as bears, wolves, lynx and wild cats. Wolfs population is estimated to be about 120 - 200 individuals; highest density of wolves in Europe gives a great opportunity to tracking wolves, in Europe a special privilege. Lynx is the symbol of Bieszczady National Park and it lives here together with wildcat, both in good numbers. Brown bear are also in their greatest density in these mountains. Beavers are also very frequent and are often present close to their lodges in winter. Otter is a very common sight on the San River where they are easy to find catching fish in ice holes. The characteristic animal of the area is the red deer but there are also roe deer and even a few elk living in the mountains. Perhaps the most impressive animal to meet are bear or European bison, reintroduced to the Bieszczady Mountains 50 years ago. All of these species are necessary prey for a good list of predators. The area is a bird-watchers paradise and here you will find 9 species of Woodpecker (inc. Syrian, White-backed and Three-toed), Black Stork, Ural and Pygmy Owls, Collared and Red-breasted Flycatcher and both Lesser spotted and Golden Eagles. The Bieszczady Mountains are pleasantly devoid of the trappings of mass tourism and are offer visitors the opportunity to discover the, 'Wild East' without venturing into Ukraine or the Russia. The closest tourist center is Ustrzyki Gorne which is the starting point for many tourists visiting this beautiful part of the country. In the Bieszczadzki National Park there are 135 km of marked and relatively easy tourist trails (subject to limitations in the winter season) and four educational trails (to be visited with guides). Since 1994 the Bieszczadzki National Park has maintained one of the largest in Poland (approximately 90 animals) Preservatory Stud of the Hucul Horse, which is also used for tourist purposes, in Wetlina and Wolosate. Currently, short horseback rides are offered; in the future, several-day long mountain horseback trips will be offered.