Calendar

2017

2017-12-11 - completion of the task C.2. "Mowing", consisting in removing (mowing) excess of herbaceous vegetation in open areas. In 2017, this treatment was carried out on the area of 47.67 ha, within the protective circuits: Krusznik, Leszczewek, Powały, Krzywe and Gawarzec. In total, during the project, mowing covered an area of 120.62 ha.

2017-12-11 - completion of task C.1. "Shrub removal", consisting in tree saplings and bushes removing in open areas. In 2017, this treatment was carried out on an area of 8.8 ha, within the protective circuits: Krusznik, Leszczewek, Powały, Krzywe and Gawarzec. In total, during the project, the de-shrub treatment covered the area of 24.38 ha.

2017-11-14-15 - Augustów hosted an international training conference on the exchange of experiences, good practices and technologies in the field of wetland protection, co-financed from the funds of the Bilateral Funds for the Financial Area of the Economic Area 2009-2014 under the Operational Program PL02 "Protection of biological diversity and ecosystems ". It was attended by, among others, four employees of the Wigry National Park, two of whom delivered presentations: Dr. Anna Krzysztofiak - "Monitoring of animal species related to wetlands of the Wigry National Park, on the example of butterflies and amphibians" and Dr. Lech Krzysztofiak - "Active protection of endangered plant and animal species associated with wetlands of the Wigry National Park". Both lectures presented, among others, results of the implementation of the project "Active protection of endangered species and habitats in the Natura 2000 area of "Ostoja Wigierska" LIFE11 NAT/PL/000431, which is financed by the European Union and the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

2017-11-15-16 - a meeting of the entire Project Management Team with the Project’s Monitor - dr Stanisław Twork took place. On the first day, the project’s previous implementation was discussed, its progress and problems encountered, and the financial documentation of the project was verified. The second day of the visit was devoted to checking the performance of some activities in the field. The selected areas where mowing and abrading treatments have already been performed and areas where such operations will be carried out in the coming days were inspected. Furthermore, a rebuilt observation platform by the Suchar IV was inspected.

 2017-10-28 - The last workshops of the LIFE project were held. The workshops were addressed to teachers and their topic was "The use of graphical thinking and notes taking techniques in natural science education". The workshops were attended by 27 people involved in environmental education, including a group of teachers of natural science and related subjects. The workshops consisted of a stationary part, where the participants learned about the concept of visual thinking and how to store and organize information in graphical form and of the field part, on the "Forest" educational path and on the exhibitions - natural and ethnographic. The workshops begun with some practical exercises related to building “a bank of own graphical tools”, recognizing and enhancing one’s own drawing skills. The participants created their own graphic notes, based on issues related to nature. During the field part, the participants created their own elements of work cards, based on graphical quotes and solved tasks previously prepared by the tutors at designated points.  The purpose of the field tour was to present the ways of planning educational tours, using the technique of graphing information.

2017-10-19 - completion of task C.3. "Removal of Impatiens glandulifera", consisting in limiting the size of the population of the invasive species of the plant of foreign origin (Impatiens glandulifera) in the area of "Ostoja Wigierska". The operation was divided into two parts: removal of Impatiens glandulifera from the area of 30 ha, located in the Czarna Hańcza valley (on the section from Sobolewo to the mouth of the river to Wigry Lake), around Czarne Lake, and also around the Klasztorne peninsula; removal of Impatiens glandulifera on the area of 16.51 ha, mainly in the Wiatrołuża valley. The first part of the activity, covering the areas where the removing of Impatiens glandulifera began in 2013, was completed on 31.07.2017, and the second part, covering the areas where this treatment started being carried out only 3 years ago, was completed on 19.10.2017. The second part of the activity was financed from the forest fund. In total, during the whole period of the project implementation, the operation was carried out on the area of over 50 ha. At some sites, the population size of this species has been reduced by up to 95%. To a large extent, the species composition of plants that occurred in the area of activity before the Impatiens glandulifera’s expansion was restored. The activities also contributed to the protection of the position of the rare plant species - dwarf marsh violet Viola epipsila.

The Czarna Hańcza valley - one of the areas before the beginning of the Impatiens glandulifera removing treatment (2012)
and after its completion (2017)

   

2017-09-25-27 - a scientific conference was held in Gawrych Ruda. Active protection of endangered species and habitats in Natura 2000 "Ostoja Wigierska" area - experiences and perspectives. There were 90 representatives from dozens of institutions, including 11 national parks and 7 landscape parks. The conference was opened by the director of the Wigry National Park - Jarosław Borejszo, welcoming the guests and wishing them an interesting and fruitful meeting. On the first day, in the morning session, presided by prof. dr hab. Barbara Tokarska-Guzik, 9 lectures were presented:

• Active protection of endangered species and habitats in the Natura 2000 area "Ostoja Wigierska" - Lech Krzysztofiak, Wigry National Park

• Active protection of amphibians in the Wigry National Park - Anna Krzysztofiak, Wigry National Park

• Active protection of endangered species and habitats in RPN and surrounding areas - Bogusław Radliński, Zbigniew Balicki, Roztoczeński National Park

• Protection of forest ecosystems on the example of the protection plan of the Wigry National Park - Maciej Szneidrowski, TAXUS

• Ecological effects of the project "Restitution and conservation of non-forest ecosystems in Słowiński National Park" POIŚ.05.01.00-00-194 / 09 - Magdalena Hadwiczak, Grzegorz Kupczak, Slowinski National Park

• Technical activities within the framework of the project "Protection of Selected Habitats and Priority Species of Ostoja Słowinska PLH 220023 and Pobrzeże Słowińskie PLB 220003" stage I - Paulina Sopek, Słowinski National Park

• Artificial breeding islands for terns in the Natura 2000 area of the Lower Vistula River Valley - nature compensation of the bridge construction by the Vistula river in the vicinity of Kwidzyn - Marcin Ryś, GDDKiA branch in Gdansk

• Do native insects require protection against invasive Asian ladybug (Harmonia axyridis)? - Piotr Ceryngier, UKSW in Warsaw

• Improvement of habitat quality of valuable plant species in the nature reserve "Słone łąki" - Małgorzata Mizgalska, Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Gdańsk.

After the lunch break the discussions continued. The afternoon session was chaired by prof. dr hab. Wiesław Fałtynowicz. 4 lectures were presented:

• Nature reserves in the Natura 2000 area of the Vistula River Valley - active or passive protection? Analysis on the example of the Warsaw area - Łukasz Poławski, the Management Board of Urban Greenery of Warsaw

• Environmental factors influencing the mortality of herpetofauna on the Carska Droga in the Biebrza National Park - Eliza Kondzior, University of Bialystok

• Monitoring and problems of beaver populations in Kampinoski National Park - Jerzy Romanowski, UKSW in Warsaw

• LIFE11 NAT/PL/428 project called “Active protection of the lowland populations of Tetrao urogallus in the Bory Dolnośląskie and Augustowska Forests - Dorota B. Ławreszuk, Tomasz M. Gałęzia, Tadeusz Wilczyński, Grzegorz Myszczyński, Daniel Skindzier, Głęboki Bród Forest District

• Impact of American mink Neovison vison on the formation of nesting birds in the Słowiński National Park - Grzegorz Jędro, Słowiński National Park.

After the lecture session, there was a stormy discussion on the topics discussed in the lectures.

On the second day of the conference, the morning session was chaired by Dr. Marian Szewczyk. 9 lectures were presented:

• Active plant protection in the Nadbużański Landscape Park - Ewa Sychut-Czapla, University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce

• Methods of analysis of the succession process of trees and shrubs and expansion of common reed in non-forest ecosystems on the example of the Lower Biebrza Basin - Łukasz Sławik, Department of Geoinformatics, Cartography and Remote Sensing, Dominik Kopeć, Department of Geobotany and Plant Ecology in University of Łódź

• Use of molecular research results in active plant species protection on the example of pulsatilla patens - Czesław Hołdyński, Monika Szczecińska, UWM Olsztyn

• Active protection of selected species of special care plants in Wielkopolska National Park - Krzysztof Kanas, Marek Słowikowski, Wielkopolski National Park

• Combating Impatiens glandulifera on the area of Nature 2000 “Ostoja Wigierska” - methods and experiences - Izabela Milewska, Ewa Rozbicka, Department of Environmental Innovation, Ecoexpert

• The plants that need us - protected, endangered and rare invasive species in the Sanok district - Marian Szewczyk, GRIL Institute PWSZ Sanok

• Changes in the species composition of the communities caused by treatments related to the control of Sosnowsky's hogweed in the Sanok district - Ewa Bujalska, Bieszczady National Park

• Application of fertilizer "PERLKA" (calcium cyanamide) to control Sosnowsky's hogweed (Heracleum Sosnowskyi Manden) - Artur Chorostyński, University of Rzeszów

• Use of remote sensing methods to identify and monitor the spread of selected invasive species of plants - Barbara Tokarska-Guzik, Department of Botany and Nature Conservation in Katowice, Sylwia Szporak-Wasilewska, Laboratory of Aquatic Center WBiIŚ SGGW Warsaw, with a team of authors.

After lunch, Dr. Lech Krzysztofiak chaired the session. It contained the following speeches:

• Evaluation of the possibility of using archival and current remote sensing data to monitor the succession process - Katarzyna Osińska-Skotak, Dorota Michalska-Hejduk and the team of authors, Chair of Geobotany and Plant Ecology, Faculty of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and SIP, Warsaw University of Technology

• Identification of non-forested Natura 2000 wilderness habitats using remote sensing - Dominik Kopeć with a team of authors, Chair of Geobotany and Plant Ecology from the University of Łódź

• Active habitat protection in the Natura 2000 area "Bagno Bubnów". Waldemar Raduj, Poleski National Park.

After all the speeches, the participants had the opportunity to participate in a very interesting and high-level discussion. After a coffee break, a poster session was held, in which the authors briefly presented the problems raised in the following posters:

• Beaver inventory in the Warsaw agglomeration. Izabella Kwaśny, Marcin Ptaszyński, Michał Winczek

• Do domestic mussels require active protection against invasive species? Mateusz Romanowski, Michał Winczek

• Distribution of Heracleum mantegazzianum in Poland in 2016 based on barszcz.edu.pl database. Izabela Sachajdakiewicz, Piotr Mędrzycki

• Active protection of amphibians on the Carska Droga in the Biebrza National Park. Katarzyna Cieślukowska, Eliza Kondzior, Adam Hermaniuk

• Active bat protection in the Nadbużanski Landscape Park. Marcin Dolota

• The results of the LIFE11 NAT/PL/428 project "Active protection of lowland populations in the Bory Dolnośląskie and Augustowska Forest". Dorota Ławreszuk, Michał Gałęzia

• Active protection of marsh habitats in the central basin of the Biebrza Valley. Adam Bernatowicz

• Restitution of herbaceous species in the Kampinoski National Park - Adenophora liliifolia (L.) Besser, Anna Kębłowska, Adam Kapler, Anna Rucińska

• Restitution of herbaceous species in Kampinoski National Park - experiences. Anna Kębłowska

• Diatoms and Shorezone Index in nature conservation. Monika Eliasz-Kowalska.

The third day of the conference was devoted entirely to the field session, during which the organizers showed the place of the main tasks of the project, related to the active protection of species and habitats.

 2017-08-21 - workshops for the local community were held. The workshops were attended by a group of 33 people, mainly residents of the Park area, its buffer zone and the surrounding areas. The workshops were organized under the slogan "Nature’s gifts" and aimed to show the possibilities of using plants in the household and to indicate the botanical potential of the region in which the participants of the workshops live. The workshops were organized on the area of Suwalki Landscape Park, floristically very similar to the "Ostja Wigierska". During the workshops the possibilities of cultivation and harvesting of medicinal and spice plants in the home garden were discussed. The workshops’ program was also intended to familiarize participants with forms of nature protection, such as strict and partial protection (examples of protected plants in the area of " Ostja Wigierska"). During the workshops, there were also threats related to the introduction of invasive plant species into home gardens presented. Practical part of the workshops took place in the field. During this part, the participants learned to recognize the plant species used in herbal medicine, spice and poisonous, as well as invasive plants of foreign origin.

 2017-07-25-28 – classes from the Summer Academy of Nature series took place. 32 children and their teachers attended the workshops. The classes took place at the Environmental Education Center in Slupie. On the first day, the participants learned about the world of plant and animal cells - they themselves collected the material from which the microscopic preparations were prepared. They then looked at the cells under the microscope, and finally made models of plant and animal cells from the modelling clay. On the second day, the classes concerned the recognition of trees and bushes, especially the species of foreign origin, which may harm the native nature. In addition, the classes concerned wild animals and safe movement in the forest and by the water. On the third day, the participants went to the forest for natural observations. These activities were accompanied by the reading of fragments of the book "The Secret Life of Trees". Field activities ended in a field game - in search of treasures of nature. The last classes in the Summer Academy of Nature took place at night and began with a lecture on the peculiarities of the insect world, with particular emphasis on night butterflies. Later, night butterflies (moths) were caught, attracted by special light, connected with the science of recognizing the basic species of these insects.

2017-05-19 - training workshops for tourist guides took place in cooperation with the Regional Park in Lithuania. The workshops were attended by 30 people: tour guides, teachers, tour operators, tourism industry representatives, hotel owners and agritourism owners and employees of the Wigry National Park. The classes started at the headquarters of the WNP in Krzywe, where the participants were transported to the Wiejsiejski Regional Park. There, they visited the park, the nature exhibition and the Tourist Information Center in the village, and the educational path through the peat bogs on the shore of Lake Ančia, where protective measures are being implemented to restore the habitat of valuable plant species such as: Molinia caerulea, Cuckoo Dactylorhiza incarnata and Dactylorhiza majalis. During the workshop the natural and cultural values of the Wiejsiejski Regional Park were presented and information on the conservation activities and the rules for making the park accessible for education and tourism was provided.

2017-04-24-27 – A study visit was held in Estonia. The visit started in Liiva on the island of Muhu, where participants learned about the operation of the Environmental Board, implementing LIFE projects and the current project. A visit to Saaremaa was an opportunity to explore the educational path leading through the Viidumae Reserve, and to learn about the effects of conservation and restoration efforts on natural habitats at the spring discharge (such as ditches and cutting trees). You could also see places where "alvars" were restored - grassland ecosystems occurring on limestone rocks covered with thin soil. The project under which these activities are carried out is carried out in Hiiumaa, Muhumaa, Saaremmaa, Parnumaa and Laanemaa, and involves the cutting of pines and juniper and grazing of cows, sheep and horses in these areas. Similar habitat restoration activities are being carried out on Parnu's coastal meadows as part of the Urbancows project, but the cane that showed after grazing cattle have been stopped is being cut off in these areas. At the end of this short visit, participants were able to see the results of the Happyfish and Happyriver projects, which are being carried out on the Emajogi and Laeva rivers in the Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve near Tartu. The visit was a great opportunity to exchange experiences in LIFE projects - discussions took place around various activities of active protection, threats to valuable species and habitats and methods of their protection. Topics of protected species such as beaver and cormorant and invasive species of foreign origin were discussed. Exchange of experience and established knowledge will probably be used in future LIFE projects.

2017-02-21 - completion and final acceptance of works related to the implementation of the extended scope of action C6 "Construction of footbridges", consisting in the reconstruction of the viewing platform located by Suchar IV. The platform was built many years ago, almost directly on the peat moss floating mat that surrounds the reservoir. This caused a strong impact of tourist traffic on vegetation and animals inhabiting the floating mat and the reservoir. The need to preserve this object for touristic purposes, and at the same time the need to protect the reservoir with the surrounding peat moss with many valuable species of plants (several sphagnum species, several Drosera species) and animals (dragonflies, water beetles), required the reconstruction of the platform structure and moving it away from the floating mat towards the mineral edge of the reservoir.

Viewing platform

2017-01-24-27 - Another classes from the Winter Academy of Nature series took place (Task E.7, Organization of Educational Activities). Children and their carers participated in the classes. In total, 38 participants took part in it. On the first day, the children learned to recognize birds seeing their plumage and hearing their voices, and learned how to help the birds. The classes took place in the room as well as in the field where the children conducted ornithological observations. On the second day, children took part in fractal classes - it was a lecture on mathematics, but one that is common in nature and experiments related to fractals. The third day included map and compass activities, children learned how to move in the field, how a solar compass was built, how to locate the sun, how to find directions, and how to orient yourself. There were also experiments, among others mapping the terrain with kinetic sand. The last day was devoted to the summary of the previously acquired skills. The participant also took part in a run on the paths of the WNP, during which it was necessary to use the acquired knowledge, ending with a bonfire.

2016

2016-12-12 - the tender for the reconstruction of the viewing platform, located by the Suchar IV, was resolved due to the implementation of the extended scope of the "Construction of footbridges" activity. The offer made by DANBUD Budownictwo Aleksander Daniłowicz was considered the most advantageous.

2016-11-14 - works related to the reconstruction of the observation platform, located above the dystrophic tank Suchar IV begun. The aim of these works was to protect the peat moss against tourist pressure. The work consisted in removing the platform from the peat moss to the mineral bank, rebuilding it (e.g. removing the roof) and replacing the material from which it was built - wood, for a more durable - hanit.

2016-10-22 - workshops for teachers who teaches nature and related subjects of primary schools (I-III and IV-VI) were organized. The workshops were led under the slogan: "Natural Experiments in practice". During the workshops, which involved 30 participants, the following topics were discussed:

-          educational tools for diversifying natural scenarios and activating students,

-          methods of fabulating the natural experiments,

-          developing the ability to use the research methods,

-          ways of adjusting the educational space to active teaching,

-          possibility of using the area of Wigry National Park for implementation of core curriculum in teaching about nature.

The workshops were led by two experienced animators associated with the Copernicus Science Center: Paweł Jaskólski and Tomasz Ruszkowski, known as "The Hevels of Science". It all started with a block of activities integrating the group and agreeing the contract and a work plan. The so-called David Kolb's cycle, i.e. the model of learning by experience and practice inducing reflection which encourages the search for generalizing rules, was discussed in details. The workshops were conducted using this method. In the later part, the trainers presented different methods of introducing fiction in the course of experiments. An important part of the works was presentation of the results in individual teams. The program and content have been analyzed accompanying the educational paths of the natural environment of the WNP. Implementation of specific experiences on paths in the field variant was also planned. The participants assessed the program of the meeting very positively, its organization and possibilities of use acquired knowledge in working with students and the usefulness of workshop materials as well. They also pointed out the need to better know the educational paths of the Park, which is a significant suggestion at planning further workshops.

2016-08-23 - The fourth stage of works related to Task C.3. Removal of Impatiens glandulifera, was accepted by committee. The treatments were carried out on an area of almost 50 hectares, on plots located along the Czarna Hańcza and Wiatrołuża rivers, on the banks of the Wigry Lake (in the western part of Poland) and on the Czarne village near Bryzgiel and on the Monastery Peninsula and east of it. The results of the conducted treatments show that the population of this species can be reduced according to the project's assumptions.

2016-07-25-28 - In the Center of Environmental Education of the WNP on Slupiańska Bay there were further classes from the Summer Academy of Nature series. Children and youth with their carers participated in the classes. In total, 36 participants took part in it. The classes were held under the slogan "Travel to the interior ...".

On the first day there was a trip to the meadow interior. The participants were looking for different plants using the keys to recognize meadow vegetation. They found most of them are edible but after proper preparation. After returning from the botanical expedition, the participants got acquainted with an interesting multimedia presentation, which included elements of natural medicine. They have known many plants that have been present in human life since the earliest times.

On the next day, classes took place which dipped participants into the water. The leaders proposed a trip to the depths of our water bodies and rivers. There was a fascinating show of underwater photos. In the second part of the classes, the participants went to Wigry Lake, where they were provided with professional equipment: cuvettes, scoops, buckets, strainers and tweezers, and where they took macrofaumicroscopy for further investigation. Then there was the opportunity to see the small organisms living in the water beneath.

The next day was a trip into the woods. The classes started with reading one of the forest stories. The storyline was then used for board games. The participants were divided into 3 teams, who were responsible for preparing the rules for the game. During the class each team played in all games to see which one was the most interesting.

On the last day there were night classes, which required the presence of older carers. As a result, number of our participants has doubled. An introduction into the journey into the depths of the Earth was a presentation on how to "read" our landscape. After the presentation the whole group went for an evening trip, where not only could they hear the noises of the forest but also feel the closeness of the animals.

2016-05-21 - Workshop for farmers and residents from the area of Ostoja Wigierska and WNP were organized and they were called "Invasive, alien plant species". 30 participants took part in it. During the presentation, the following issues were discussed in detail:

- foreign species (mainly plants) and their environmental impact,

- foreign invasive species of plants in Poland and in the area of Ostoja Wigierska,

- practical learning to recognize selected specimens of invasive alien species from the area of  Ostoja Wigierska,

- methods of combating invasive plant species in protected areas, activities carried out in Ostoja Wigierska,

- practical guidelines for combating invasive alien species in households,

- traditional rural gardens, aesthetic and natural values,

- examples of commercially available ornamental plants - native species that are substitutes for alien species, especially invasive, with the division into annual, biennial, perennial, shrub and creeper species,

- the code of the responsible gardener, legal aspects related to alien species.

Just like last year, the workshop was accompanied by the "Natura 2000 Day" festival organized by the WNP staff, devoted to the WNP LIFE project.

2016-05-20 - workshops were organized for tourist guides, including tour guides, teachers, tour operators, tourism industry representatives, hotel owners and agrotourists, employees of the Suwalki Landscape Park and the Wigry National Park (30 people in total).

The classes started at the headquarters of the WNP in Krzywe, where the participants were transported to the area of Wisztyniecki Regional Park (Lithuania). After visiting the park's headquarters and Tourist Information Center in Visztyniec, the participants went on a tour of the Park and educational paths and then to a refurbished manor house in Pojeziora, where the museum's headquarters is located with its rich ethnographic collections. Near the manor house there is a 12-hectare park, which is a natural monument.

The workshop presented the natural and cultural values of the Wisztyniec Regional Park and provided information on the protection measures and the provision of a park for education and tourism.

2016-05-14 - workshops for teachers were organized. They were called " What for there’s dead wood in the forest", and 30 people took part in the classes. They were mainly the teachers of older primary schools’ students, junior high schools and high schools. Theoretical part was held at the Environmental Education Center by the Slupie Bay of the Wigry Lake, while the field part in the forest surrounding the Center. The workshops were divided into two thematic blocks: one dealing with the concept of biodiversity and introducing the second part of the workshop, which was devoted specifically to the role of dead wood in the forest ecosystem. The relationship between the number of dead wood present in the forest ecosystem and its biological diversity was emphasized above all.

Among the most important topics discussed at the workshop there were also:

- the Convention on the Protection of Biological Diversity,

- ecosystem services and valuation of diversity,

- levels of diversity,

- threats to biodiversity in the world and in Poland and ways of its protection.

In the field part, there were presented practical forms of games which can be realized with children, using simple, hand-made didactic helps in field conditions.

2016-02-02-05 - Another classes from the Winter Academy of Nature series took place (Task E.7, Organization of Educational Activities). Children and youth with their carers participated in the classes. In total, 35 participants took part in it. This time the classes were held under the slogan "Laboratory of Young Naturalist". The first day was devoted to the World Wetlands Day. Workshops were held under the slogan "Residents of drops of water from Wigry". During the classes, the participants performed themselves microscopic preparations and small daffodils mascots. The second part of the classes was devoted to various species of birds, especially those related to the aquatic environment. The fieldwork was an opportunity for independent bird ringing.

During the second day of class, the participants visited the bee and honey region. They learned about the life of bees, had a chance to look into their home. They also learned the duties and habits of these insects. The bees were watched through the eye of a magnifying glass and a microscope. They were acquainted with the beekeeper's profession, his equipment and clothes, and they took part in the integration game: bee workers dancing, collecting nectar and pollen, tasting honey. The second part of the course was devoted to the subject "Broad bean and its friends". There were classes on edible legumes: chickpeas, broad beans, soybeans, beans, peas and lentils. (The United Nations announced the 2016 International Year of Legume Plants).

The third day was devoted to workshops called "What squeaks in the head, i.e. how people and animals perceive the world." The workshops were based on mutual learning of our senses. The participants learned how the brain collects and processes all incoming signals. The incredible possibilities of the senses and the ways to deceive them were presented.

The last day of the class was held under the slogan "Fire – the force of nature". During the classes the participants of the workshops met the fire as a force of nature. They wondered what was needed to make fire. Why some materials burn and others do not? The participants learned when people started using fire. Together with the animator, they made a fire using methods of our ancestors and carried out some scientific experiments.

 

 

2015

2015-11-13 - another workshops were organized, this time they were addressed to teachers of different levels of teaching - mainly primary schools and junior high schools, but also kindergartens. Workshops were mainly devoted to the protection of birds. 35 people attended the workshop.

The specific scope of the meeting was as follows:

• Rules of bird observation - field trip with a group of pupils - how to organize, what to equip, the course of action

• Convenient observation locations - choose between group activities and individual observations

• Presentation of NGO's projects on birds in which schools can participate, rules, Eeducational materials, observation forms, reporting rules, contests and awards (eg „Pola tętniące życiem”, „Sprin alive”, “OTOP Junior”, ,,Owls of Poland "," Szkoła na pTAK ")

• Presentation of events integrating bird watchers

• Available on the web, free education materials on birds - keys, atlases, guides, scenarios, work cards

• Educational aids - bird feathers (rules for maintenance, storage), bird nest

• Birds voices - what to look for, how to recognize selected bird species, work with pupils using bird vocals - practical activating exercises.

Practical exercises related to bird observations took place in the field. The rules were presented both for the game and to activate pupilsin to learn about ornithofauna. The activities related to birds were very active, simple educational aids, self-made, supporting the study of bird species were presented.

2015-09-26 - another workshop was organized, this time they were directed to tourist guides and people related to tourism. The workshops were devoted to the adaptation of tourist infrastructure to the needs of the disabled. Workshops were participated by active guides from the Podlaskie voivodship and teachers working with children and youth with different degrees of disability. 35 people all together attended the workshops. The main topic of the workshops was an opportunity to get to know the nature and the closest surroundings to the blind. The participants learned how blind people can perceive the surrounding reality and how they should interact with such people.

The specific scope of the meeting was as follows:

- presentation of the "Atlas of National Parks in Poland for the Blind and Visually Impaired"

- Practical aspects of the work of a tourist guide and educator with the blind and visually impaired

- presentation of new tourist infrastructure at the park's headquarters (modernized nature exhibition, bike rental, parking infrastructure, observation deck at Suchar I)

- field session - presentation of tourist infrastructure limiting tourist pressure in Natura 2000 areas (Łysocha bridge in Słupie, modernized Center for Environmental Education, viewing platform in Powały and Bartny Dół).

2015-08-25 - The third stage of work related to Task C.3. Removal of Impatiens glandulifera, was accepted by committee.  The treatments were carried out on an area of almost 50 hectares, on plots located along the Czarna Hańcza and Wiatrołuża rivers, on the banks of the Wigry Lake (in the western part of Poland) and on the Czarne village near Bryzgiel and on the Monastery Peninsula and east of it. The results of the conducted treatments show that the population of this species can be reduced according to the project's assumptions.

2015-08-08 - In the Krzywe village, workshops for farmers and residents of Ostoja Wigierska were held (Task E.7. Organization of workshops). The workshops, attended by 30 people, were devoted to the protection of bees. The main aim of the workshop was to familiarize participants with the issues of bee protection, mainly wild bees, including the methods of active protection of these insects. This subject was chosen not accidentally - on the day of the workshop it was the so-called The Great Day of Bees, a cyclical event devoted to informing about the irreplaceable role pollinators play in the environment and the dangers they face. Participants of the workshop were able to familiarize themselves with bee biology and their diversity, and during the practical part, under the guidance of the instructor, made shelters for wild bees. During the field part they visited the educational route called "Forest", where there are beekiping stalls – wild beehives cut in pines and suspended pine logs. The expedition was led by a beekeeping master and an apiarist.

2015-07-28-31 and 3-4-08 - In the Environmental Education Center of the WNP on the Słupiańska Bay there were another classes from the Summer Academy of Nature series organized (Task E.7, Organization of Educational Activities). Children and youth with their carers participated in the classes. In total, 34 participants took part in it. The first day was devoted to flying objects ("Why does it fly?"). The course covered such issues as: "Why do birds fly?" or "Flying seeds". The classes consisted of conducting observations (also in the field) and performing experiments. During the second day, under the slogan of "White World, White Animals", a photo exhibition from Piotr Malczewski's trip to Spitzbergen took place and a talk on the biology and ecology of white stork. On the third day, the participants learned about the trees ("The Mysteries of Trees"). They learned what dendrochronology is and how you can examine the age of a tree. During the practical activities, the participants were able to check their skills. At the end of the meeting there were art classes organized, during which one could artistically present the mysterious spirit of his tree. The fourth day of classes was unusual, because it concerned the creatures flying at night ("What flies at night?"), and therefore the classes were held at night (from 20 to 23:30). At the beginning of the classes, Krzysztof Frąckiel, an entomologist from the Biebrza National Park, had a presentation on the night butterflies that occur in the area of Ostoja Wigierska. The field activities were an opportunity for direct meetings with animals active at night.

The day before last concerned things and phenomena that cannot be seen with the naked eye ("How to see the invisible"). Various experiments with magnifiers, binoculars and microscopes have showed the participants both the construction and operation of these devices and the microcosm in our environment. The last day was a continuation of getting to know little things ("Traveling on a microcosm"). The topics covered were the use of optical microscopes, photographic camera servicing, and microscopy techniques. During the laboratory classes participants practically applied some acquired skills, among others taking pictures of very small natural objects, including aquatic organisms in phytoplankton and zooplankton. During the course of the classes, a boat ride took place with the glass-bottomed "Leptodora" boat, which enabled the observation of the underwater micro-system of Wigry Lake.

2015-07-23-24 - Another monitoring visit was held. The project was supervised by dr Stanisław Tworek - External Monitor of the project. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Project Management Team: Lech Krzysztofiak - Project Coordinator and Tomasz Janecki - Technical Project Manager. During the two-day visit the technical progress of the individual project tasks was discussed, and during the field visit, the implementation of investment activities was monitored, including passage systems for amphibians, and the effects of removing Impatiens glandulifera were investigated.

2015-07-6 - Phase I of the external audit of the project (Task F.4) was completed by the consortium AuditLab Sp. z o.o. from Opole and DPC A. Danylczenko and Sp. J. from Opole. Based on the financial audit, the project document LIFE11 NAT/PL/000431 has accurately and reliably reflected the income and expenses incurred by the Wigry National Park in relation to the implementation of the project, in line with the LIFE program, joint provisions, accounting rules and national regulations.

May 30 – June 4 – a study visit to Italy and Slovenia, participated by 5 Wigry National Park employees, as part of networking with other projects. The following people took part in the trip: the director - Maciej Kamiński, academic staff: dr Tomasz Janecki, dr Anna Krzysztofiak and dr Lech Krzysztofiak and head of the administrative and economic department - Stefan Mackiewicz. In addition, representatives of two other projects, carried out  by the Pieniny National Park and "Man and Nature" Association, also participated in the trip. It was also a great opportunity to exchange experiences and to look for solutions to the most important problems. On June 1, the participants met with the representatives of the LIFE06 NAT/SI /000069 "Presihajoce Cerknisko Jezero" project in the Regional Park headquarters in Cerknica (Notran Rynski park).

After presenting the main problems related to the implementation of the projects, there was a field trip carried out around the most important sites of the project. The Cerknickie lake, which during the season changes the water level by several meters, affecting the local flora and fauna, made a huge impression on everybody. In the nearby meadows we could admire the abundance of flowers, among which were Gladiolus illyricus, Lamium orvala and Knautia illyrica. Similar as in Wigry National Park, the overgrown meadows are also cleared here to create favorable conditions for the corncrake and butterflies of the Lycaenidae family.

The next visit was to exchange experiences with representatives of the LIFE11 NAT/IT/000094 "SOS Tuscan Wetlands" project management board. After visiting the headquarters of the Ponte Buggianese (Tuscany) and meeting with the head of the consortium di Bonifica del Padule di Fucechio, a visit was made to see the results of the project's activities.

It turned out that we have many common problems, such as the disappearance of wetland biodiversity, caused by strong anthropogenic or invasive alien plant species (mainly Amorpha fruticosa) and animals (eg nutria or American cancer Procambarus klarkii). Representatives of both visited projects showed great interest in the issues raised in our projects and announced a return visit in Poland.

 
May 2015
May 4th-10th - a study trip of 4 Park's employees to Portugal took place, as a part of the networking with other projects. Those 4 employees were: Jacek Lozinski - Director of the Park, Wojciech Kamiński - senior specialist in charge of nature conservation, Łukasz Skiendziul -  specialist in charge of nature conservation and Beata Koncewicz - senior accountant. An additional aspect of building collaborative networks with other LIFE projects was to organize a study visit together with the representatives of Głeboki Bród Insepctorate, realizing the LIFE11 NAT/PL/428 project, called 'Active protection of the lowland grouse populations in the Lower Silesian Forest and Forest Augustowska'. It was an opportunity to establish closer cooperation with the staff of the project and to exchange experiences. The first to be presented was LIFE12 NAT/PT/950 'TAXUS - Restoring yew Thickets [9580 * Mediterranean Taxus baccata woods]'. The project is implemented by the association 'Quercus' - Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza. It is the largest NGO dedicated to the nature conservation in Portugal. The participants of the study visit met with the project coordinator, Nuno Forner, who presented the objectives, assumptions and current actions and effects as part of an ongoing project. The meeting took place in Manteigas, in the headquarters of the Natural Park of Serra da Estrela. After the meeting, a full-day site visit was held. The participants got to know the natural environment of the Serra da Estrela, its typical species, as well as they were able to acquaint with the most important problems of their protection. They also viewed the current effects of the project's activities, among others the ones consisting of yew plantings and other native species and adapting the environment to the needs of these species, including the removal of alien species that threaten them. Then the participants of the study visit went north of the country and the next day they visited the Peneda-Geres National Park - the only national park in Portugal. The visit began with a meeting at the headquarters of the National Park with the park's manager - Maria do Céu Osório (delegate Director of Natural Areas of Northern Portugal), an employee of the Park Jorge Dias and Estevão Portela-Pereira - phytosociology expert from the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning of Lisbon, the person responsible for conducting environmental monitoring in the LIFE project. Within the above-mentioned national park's area, the second part of the LIFE project NAT/ PT/950 is being held. Among the activities in the area, in addition to adapting the environment for the optimum development of yew, there are also activities carried out like the removal of species susceptible to fires in order to limit one of the most important risk factors for this species and contributing to the reconstruction of its population. The next meeting of the foreign visit took place in Barreiro, near Lisbon. Its aim was to familiarize one selves with the LIFE13 BIO/PT/000386  project, called 'Biodiscoveries' - Invasive species control through public participation. The project is implemented by a public institution - Town Hall of Barreiro. The aim of the project is to protect the forests in the reserve Machada, including native species of endangered plants occurring there, among others, Euphorbia uliginosa. The most important action is to develop alternatives to traditional models of combating invasive alien species of plants, consisting on the combination of the public sector and the strong support of volunteering. The employees of Wigry National Park met with a representative of the municipal authorities and the two employees involved in the project (Andreia Pereira and Nuno Cabrita). The participants of the study trip visited the Environmental Education Centre managed by the municipality, and during the field trip acquainted with the environment of the forest Machada located in the Valley of the Tagus, they viewed native species as well as invasive alien species and familiarized themselves with the methods of their removal, implemented within the LIFE project. In addition, there was an exchange of professional experience in the field of nature photography, which the project's worker, Nuno Cabrita specializes in. On the last day of the stay in Portugal, there was a meeting held in Lisbon. It was a meeting with Ines Roque of the University of Evora, who's implementing research on barn owls in the area and around Lisbon, among others, working on telemetry of this species.
On May 8th, there were workshops for tourist guides organized by Wigry National Park. The workshops participants had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the changes in the Wigry National Park's tourists infrastructure, aimed at limiting tourist pressure on the most valuable areas of the Park. The field part of the workshops included entry to protected areas in Lithuania: Metelski Regional Park and Zuvintas Reserve. This was the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the problems associated with the impact of human pressure on Natura 2000 sites abroad and ways to address them, as well as confront them with the situation in Poland. The workshops certainly contributed to the expansion of environmental awareness of local tourist guides, which will have an impact on the information provided by them to groups of tourists visiting the north-eastern Poland.
On May 23rd, there were workshops on invasive alien plant species organized. It had 35 participants, most of which were farmers from the area of the park and the buffer zone, as well as  the citizens leading non-agricultural activities, however owning farms and homesteads in the park's territory. Some practical ways to get rid of the intruders and replace them with native species, no less comely decorative plants, were presented in particular. The participants received extensive information materials (list of alien species with a proposal to replace with native species, a leaflet about the project, a leaflet about the traditional rural gardens, a brochure about invasive species in the Area of Ostoja Wigierska) and seeds and seedlings of native decorative plant species. During the workshops, the lecturers were presenting live specimens of selected invasive alien plant species.
May 23rd also was the day when Natura 2000 Day celebration took place in Wigry National Park. On a specially prepared for this purpose stands, the representatives of the three institutions: Wigry National Park, 'Man and Nature' Association and Głęboki Bród Inspectorate, presented their projects co-financed by the European Union under the LIFE program. Moreover, one could take part in numerous games and activities, winning interesting prizes and also visit the Wigry Museum free of charge.

 

April 2015
On Apr 29th, during monitoring of the project's effects, large amounts of green frogs were observed, wandering through passages in Wiatrołuża to their breeding places. Apart from the section secured with the passages, lots of brown frogs and grey toads, hit by cars and killed, were observed.

 

March 2015
On March 10th, while monitoring the effects of the project in Krzywe, crested newts were observed, wandering through the newly constructed culverts.
On March 21st, another workshops (organized within the E.8 task) took place in the Wigry Museum in Stary Folwark. The meeting was about natural valuable habitats located in the areas used for agriculture within the borders of Wigry National Park. There are many habitats of natural value in the Park's area - habitats of priority meaning for the European Union. Some of those habitats - protected under the Habitats Directive - are the areas used for agriculture. These habitats include: lowland hay meadows used extensively (code 6510), raised bogs with peat forming vegetation (7110), transition mires and quaking bogs (7140), fens bogs (7210), lowland bogs alkaline marshes, sedge meadows and fens (7230). Protecting these extremely valuable plant communities is an important part of Wigry National Park Protection Plan, however their protection - maintenance of the richness of biodiversity and the spatial - will not be possible without the cooperation of the land users - owners and tenants, as well as the local government. Owners of these lands, the leaseholders and representatives of the Offices of Municipalities, as well as the interested in the subject residents of the Park and the surrounding areas were all invited to the meeting. 35 people participated in the workshops and its program was as following:
8:30    Natura 2000: difficult community of interests – dr Dan Wołkowycki
9:30    Qualities and protection of grassland in Wigry National Park – dr Dan Wołkowycki
11:00    Qualities and protection of uncultivated grassland in Wigry National Park – dr hab. Piotr Sikorski
12:45    Biodiversity of Wigry National Park's farmlands and its importance in tourism– dr hab. Piotr Sikorski
15:00    Visiting the Wigry Museum.

On March 31st, the procedure of selecting the external auditor of the project was completed (Task F.4). The most advantageous offer was selected, which proved to be the offer of Audit Lab Sp. z o. o., a company from Opole.

February 2015
On Feb 3rd-6th Nature Winter Academy took place in Krzywe and it was attended by 32 children. The motto of the first day of the Academy was 'Light -Life'. Classes taught by Paweł Jaskólski were full of scientific experiments with the active participation of the attendants. On the second day, which motto was 'The wolf's not so scary', Wigry National Pak's employee Maciej Romański talked about wolves. During the trip to the forest the participants were looking for animals tracks. After the trip, each participant personally made a wolf from the toilet paper roll, plastic caps and natural twine. The next day was devoted to birds. Participants of the meeting learned about the origin of birds on Earth, why they work so well in any environment, how many birds there are, how diverse in appearance and adaptations they are. Anyone could touch the feathers of various birds species and carry out experiments on them. The participants were also able to see and touch various bones, including the birds' skulls. During the field trip, the participants 'armed' with binoculars were watching birds in their natural habitat. The last day of the Academy was about the life in the waters and during the course the participants had the opportunity to watch zooplankton under a microscope.

On Feb 20th, Wigry National Park has partnered the Głęboki Bród Inspectorate which is a co-beneficiary of the project called 'Active protection of the lowland grouse populations in the Lower Silesian Forest and Forest Augustowska' (LIFE11 NAT/PL/428). The Inspectorate organized a meeting in their area, which was attended by several Wigry National Park's employees. During the meeting, employees of the park acquainted with the results of grouse displacement on the area of yhe Inspectorate and were able to explore the Center of Grouse Conservative Breeding in Chylinki Forestry. The displaced grouse were harvested in the territory of Russia and replenished the extremely sparse population of Augustów. During the meeting it was established that there will be a joint study trip to Portugal organized, in order to familiarize oneself with the issues and the results of other projects for the LIFE program. At the end of the meeting, a cooperation agreement was signed by the Głęboki Bród Inspectorate - forester Tadeusz Wilczynski, and from the Wigry National Park - Director Jacek Łozinski.

2014

27-28 May
Report on the conference - ‘Active protection of endangered species and habitats in the Nature 2000 area’ more

8-15 March 2014

The report from the trip to Spain more

Building tunnels for amphibians

2014-01-20

Commenced in September 2013, the construction works for the second system of the tunnels located on the county road Okuniowiec-Wiatrołuża, which crosses the area of “Wigry Refuge” in its northern part, were completed in December 2013.

On 21 November, the building-in of the tunnels and directing barriers was accepted by the contractor, while on 9 December, the construction works for on a new, asphalt concrete road were accepted.

The necessity of renovating the existing bituminous road and surfacing it with asphalt concrete was due to the need for preventing the built-in constructions of the tunnels from the users of the road.

The results of the construction works were already seen during the acceptance of the works, namely on 21 December 2013, when hundreds of amphibians going through the newly build tunnels on the other side of the road were observed.

Mowing herbaceous plants

19/01/2014

Measures consisting in mowing herbaceous plants were undertaken in November by the Forest Services Company Antoni Olszewski (Zakład Usług Leśnych Antoni Olszewski).

The mowing was performed in the villages:

Wysoki Most - 3.11 ha, Lipowe - 4 ha, Krzywe - 0.6 ha, Słupie - 3.20 ha, Lipniak - 7.46 ha, Leszczewek - 0.08 ha, Gawarzec - 0.68 ha, Krusznik - 1.52 ha.

The combined mown area was 20.65 ha off the area of 120 ha planned in the project.

Removing shrubs

19/01/2014

Within this activity, the contractor, i.e. the Forest Services Company Antoni Olszewski, which was appointed in the tendering procedure, conducted the first works related to removing shrubs on meadows and peat bogs.

The measures were taken in the villages:

Wysoki Most - 0.10 ha, Lipowe - 0.35 ha, Krzywe - 0.16 ha, Słupie - 1.59 ha, Lipniak - 3.82 ha, Leszczewek - 0.94 ha, Gawarzec - 0.10 ha, Krusznik - 0.58 ha.

The combined mown area was 7.64 ha off 20 ha planned in the project.

 

2013

 

October 21 - works related to the construction of culverts for amphibians located on the district road No. 1150B Krzywe - Słupie and on the district road No. 1153B Okuniowiec - Wiatrołuża in connection with the implementation of task C5 ("Design and construction of culverts for amphibians and construction of manure plates and slurry tanks ") were accepted.

 

September 30 - start of construction of culverts for amphibians located on the district road No. 1153B Okuniowiec - Wiatrołuża in connection with the implementation of task C5 ("Design and construction of culverts for amphibians and construction of manure plates and slurry tanks").

 

Removing the Himalayan balsam

30/09/2013

The first phase of works regarding C.3 Action “Removing the Himalayan balsam” was completed.

On 10 September, the Committee, appointed for accepting works, approved the measure consisting in removing this invasive alien species in the area of 30 ha which is situated in the valley of the Czarna Hańcza River, around Lake Czarne near the village of Gawrych Ruda and in the area along the shores of the Monastery Peninsula.

 

Building tunnels for amphibians

30/09/2013

At the end of September 2013, the part of C.4 Action “Building tunnels for amphibians" was completed.

The construction works for the system of the tunnels for amphibians on the county road connecting the villages of Krzywe, Sobolewo and Gawrych Ruda were completed.

6 tunnels alongside directing barriers running along both sides of the road were built in the 250 m long section of the road.

These constructions will provide safe passage for amphibians and other small vertebrates on the move.

Also A.3 Action "Preparation of technical project and obtaining permission for building tunnels for amphibians" was completed.

The contractor obtained permission for the building of the second system of the tunnels on the county road running from Suwałki to Kaletnik and crossing the area of "Wigry Refuge" in its northern part.

5 tunnels with directing barriers running along both sides of the 250 m long section of the road were planned to build.

The construction works have already begun and should be finished at the end of October and the beginning of November 2013.

 

August 8 - obtaining a permit for the construction of culverts for amphibians located on the district road No. 1153B Okuniowiec - Wiatrołuża in connection with the implementation of task C5 ("Design and construction of culverts for amphibians and construction of manure plates and slurry tanks").

 

Summer Nature Academy - 2013

02/08/2013

The main topic of this year's Nature Academy were hues or, more preferably, colours which in physics, to be more precise, are not the same concept as hues.

During the Academy, children, teenagers and parents were discovering the beauty of nature in the national park, which is simultaneously the Natura 2000 area, by wandering in forest paths or through the grass of meadows, wading in water and, above all, by having great fun and, at the same time, learning a lot.

All in all, the Academy was attended by 47 participants.

Although we planned smaller groups, the news about an academy full of joy and adventure brought us even more adepts of esoteric naturalistic knowledge.

The four days of the Academy meant four main topics, i.e.: Day 1 - The colours of the forest, Day 2 - the colours of the meadow, Day 3 - the colours of the water, while Day 4 was the day of playing and contests. These are the Colours of Nature, that is the Colours of Natura 2000.

For the purpose of the Academy, we purchased and made plenty of interesting learning aids as well as board games and jigsaws puzzles which were useful in particular for the youngest participants of the Academy.

What happened during the classes?

Briefly, the schedule was as follows:

Day 1 (Tuesday), 23/07/2013, The colours of the forest

1. Organizational and ordeal matters

2. A presentation entitled "The colours of the forest - the trees and shrubs of Wigry National Park".

3. "I know the trees and shrubs" contest

4. The outdoor game "The detectives of nature" - naturalistic tasks with compasses, field-glasses, guides and magnifying glasses; bird-watching.

5. The difficult art of origami - making birds from paper.

6. Birds' boxes - making pottery in the shape of birds

Day 2 (Wednesday), 24/07/2013.

1. The Colours of the meadow

2. A presentation on biodiversity in the world of plants and animals.

3. The world through the camera lens - a short workshop on photography.

4. A trip to the meadow

- The sounds of the meadow,

- The colours of the meadow - creating a hue palette,

- distinguishing between meadow plants ( the structure of herbaceous plants, drawing a plant found on the meadow)

- the colours of the meadow's inhabitants

- "In search of insects" - playing with cardboards

- catching insects with nests and watching them through jars with magnifying glasses

- telling the differences between spiders and insects

- "Do you know my colour" contest

- The smells of the meadow - creating a fragrance cocktail

- The photograph of my meadow - workshop on naturalistic photography

- The portrait of my meadow painted with fingers.

- "The colourful meadow" game.

Day 3 (Thursday), 25/07/2013, The Colours of the water

1. A presentation on the issues of water properties, the influence of the aquatic environment on living conditions in a reservoir, the diversity of aquatic animals and plants, including protected species inhabiting the aquatic environments in the Natura 2000 area, the influence of Man on the quality of water, ways of water treatment and purification.

2. The younger participants of the Academy performed works of art such as paintings of aquatic labyrinths, animals and plants. They also did crosswords and made aphorisms related to water.

3. On the other hand, the older participants performed experiments with a prism. Moreover, they learned about the diffusion of light and the diffusion of light beam and the phenomenon of rainbow. They also performed an experiment with sets for examining the water ( pH, nitrates, phosphates). In such a way they examined the physical and chemical properties of the water from Lake Wigry, to which substances imitating pollution, i.e. washing powder and a fertilizer were added.

4. Also an experiment with filters for purifying water, consisting in filtering water with different kinds of pollution, was performed. It demonstrated the work of a water treatment plant.

5. An examination of the environmental quality of water was done. The examination aimed at distinguishing between different species of amphibians - the measures of waters' quality.

6. Observing the submarine world of Lake Wigry, i.e. the cruise of a glass bottom boat through Słupiańska Bay.

Day 4 (Friday), 26/07/2013, The Colours of Nature 2000

1. The Crane - "a bird by Nature" ( origami-making),

2. "Find my favourite tree" words and movement game,

3. Games with a magnetic board,

4. A naturalistic trip to Lake Suchar Wielki - hues by 'suchary' lakes,

5. The making of a forest mandala,

6. What can we play in the forest?

- games with natural elements such as cones, wooden sticks and stones,

7. An animal Sudoku,

8. Painting "A postcard from Wigry",

 

Removing the Himalayan balsam

30/07/2013

In the second half of May 2013 works aiming at removing an invasive alien species, the Himalayan balsam, began.

(C.3 Action Removing the Himalayan balsam).

The contractor of this action has already begun to remove this plant in certain areas long before its flowering. The capsules were removed shortly after they sprung.

Together with the scientific workers of Wigry National Park, the contractor agreed to treat an area covered with the Himalayan balsam, located in Sobolewo village (Hamernia) as a testing ground and to conduct all activities under the strict control of the Park's workers.

During these works, different methods of removing the Himalayan balsam are to be tested. This should give certain information about the most efficient method of removal.

In the selected areas, experimental plots have been marked in order to undertake different measures.

Information concerning these measures and its results is systematically gathered by the contractor and the Scientific and Educational Laboratory of Wigry National Park.

Since the very beginning of the works concerning the removal of the Himalayan balsam, the biomass of the plants is gathered in specially prepared places where it will be stored until its natural decomposition.

 

The preparation of technical projects of tunnels and obtaining building permit for tunnels for amphibians

30/07/2013

The realization of A.3 Action "The preparation of technical projects of tunnels and obtaining building permit for tunnels for amphibians" began.

The two documents planned within the project, i.e. these for the tunnels located in the villages of Krzywe and Wiatrołuża, were merged by the contractor into a technical project of the system of the tunnels in Krzywe.

Developing the technical project of the system allowed to obtain a building permit.

 

Works - A.2 Action and C.5 Action

30/07/2013

In June, works within A.2 Action “The preparation of technical project, obtaining building permit for reservoirs and arrangements regarding the construction of manure plates” as well as C.5 Action “The construction of manure plates and reservoirs” w

July 12 - start of construction of culverts for amphibians located on the district road No. 1150B Krzywe - Słupie in connection with the implementation of task C5 ("Design and construction of culverts for amphibians and construction of manure plates and slurry tanks").

July 11 - partial acceptance of works was carried out in connection with the implementation of task C5 ("Design and construction of culverts for amphibians and construction of manure plates and slurry tanks"), in the form of a liquid manure tank and manure plate at the farm belonging to Mr. Tadeusz Topolski in Leszczewo.

July 2 - partial acceptance of works was carried out in connection with the implementation of task C5 ("Design and construction of culverts for amphibians and construction of manure plates and slurry tanks"), in the form of liquid manure tanks and manure plates in farms belonging to Mr. Andrzej Bartoszewicz and Mr. Krzysztof Dźwilewski in Sobolewo.

 

June 20 - partial acceptance of works was carried out in connection with the implementation of task C5 ("Design and construction of culverts for amphibians and construction of manure plates and slurry tanks"), in the form of a liquid manure tank and manure plate at the farm belonging to Mr. Bogusław Romanowski in Sobolewo. In addition, a permit was obtained for the construction of culverts for amphibians located on the district road No. 1150B Krzywe - Słupie and the start of construction.

 

June 10 - partial acceptance of works was carried out in connection with the implementation of task C5 ("Design and construction of culverts for amphibians and construction of manure plates and slurry tanks"), in the form of a liquid manure tank and manure plate at the farm belonging to Mr. Tadeusz Topolski in Leszczewo.