Poland is located in the geographical centre of Europe. Its environment is extremely varied as there are no natural barriers which would separate Poland from the rest of the continent. Nature of Poland compiles the features characteristic of the whole Europe. Animal and plant species of Central Europe occur here, but there also are some species characteristic of the northern parts of the continent.  more »

Since the 1990s, the process of renaturation of extremely transformed natural environment has begun in many rich European countries – Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Denmark and Germany. Lands which used to be cultivated are turned into meadows or heaths, and rivers, restructured in 1950s and 1960s now are being shaped again in more natural way.  more »

For ages nature of Europe has been transformed by humans. In times when Poland was covered by immense beech, oak, lime and hornbeam primeval forests, Platon (427-347 B.C.) noticed the devastation of nature caused by people in Greece.  more »

Marshlands - wet spongy lands saturated and sometimes partially covered with water – are examples of natural (peat-bogs) or almost natural (meadows and pastures) landscape in Poland. They regulate water circulation in the environment and are natural habitats of wild animals and plants. We must protect them!  more »

How did the European primeval forest looked like before humans started to exploit it? You can still find such unspoiled forest environment in a small part of Bialowieza Primeval Forest. Many of the visitors are amazed by the unusual height of the trees and the fact that there is a lot of space for vegetation and animals underneath them.  more »

Agricultural policy introduced in Western Europe after the World War II resulted in many local catastrophes in the environment and in rapid decrease of the number of plant and animal species; especially among insects, bats and birds.  more »

People remove some species of plants – trees, bushes, grass and herbs – in order to grow the plants they want. As a result, within an area which could be used by dozens or even hundreds of species, only a few can survive to accompany the species which is superior in numbers due to human intervention. As a result of such changes natural environment not only lacks those species removed by humans but also those which cannot live in new conditions but could have in previous ones. Such agritechnical manipulations change the structure and humidity of soil.  more »

There are 24 species of bats in Poland – all of them under strict protection. The smallest one is the size of Pygmy Shrew (it weights about 3 grams, which is less than the smallest Polish bird - the Goldcrest), and the biggest is the size of a sparrow, with wingspan (40 cm) and weight (40 g) of a lark. However, few people know about their presence, as during the day buts hide themselves in caves, holes, hollows, dark nooks of attics and cellars, as well as in abandoned underground tunnels and fortifications.  more »