Funkenwerkstatt-bialowieza.final-version

The Hambacherforst in Germany is just another
example of humans destroying a precious forest
just for their profit of getting more coal. Even
though the government promised to reduce the
coal production the forests are still irrevisble
destroyed. Kind of the same thing happened to
the forest of Bialowieza national park, which is
the last remaining primary forest in Europe….
UNESCO heritage Bialowieza forest stretches from Poland to Belarus and is home to a diversity of
species. The most prominent is the bison, being well protected after it nearly become extinct after
World War I. Bialowieza hosts a variety of rare bird species, amongst others the white woodpecker,
which populate the dead wood one finds in the untouched protected areas. Being interlaced by distinct
swamp areas unique in Europe, where fungus, plants and insects live in symbiosis, Bialowieza
with its more than hundred year old trees is one of the most remarkable ecosystems in Eurasia. Even
though being listed as a UNESCO world nature heritage: From a total 1500 km² of forest and 200
km² being protected on the Belarus side since the 1990, the polish government regards only a 50 km²
fragment of Bialowieza worth protecting.
With the decision of the ministry of environment to increase the logging in the forest, the wood
industry started in Mai 2017 to draw timber in Bialowieza. Since heavy machines entered the forest,
Bialowieza turned into a topic of media interest and public protest as well as the criticism of experts,
subsequently founding initiatives to save the forest. Different NGO`s come together with scientists,
but also many people knowing about the importunateness of the forest participate in the topic and
created the Camp for the Forest.

We talked to Kinga a woman who was joining the activist camp one month after it was founded. She followed
the open call of the camp to gather activists and came with friends and her dog to Bialowieza. When she arrived,
there were already 100 people at the camp. “It was just booming, and more and more people got involved.”
In the beginning it was not easy because there were a lot of different people with different point of views come
together. “We had a big diversity, some anarchistic groups which don’t like organisations for example”.
In fact, the self-organisation
of the camp went surprisingly
well by setting up some rules
at the beginning. They were
about the non-hierarchy
structure, a discrimination
free zone and finding decisions
democratically. After a
while they noticed that at the
gatherings which where holded
up every night went to
crowded, as sometimes over
150 people sitting together.
Kinga, stays infront of illegal logged oaks.
“We brought together what was happening that day by collecting data and think about what will happen tomorrow.
And with so many people it was taking ages and was not very effective in the beginning. Than we got
the idea creating working groups. Groups for different subjects like coordination actions, food and media. First
of all every several group worked on their topics and then what they brought together was introduced to the
camp at the gatherings. Every decision was made together in a democratically way.”, Kinga told us.
Every person who want to act in the forest,
had to go through a few hours workshop. The
idea behind this was to have a nonviolent environment,
so all the blockades and protests
are directed in a nonviolent way. Kinga, who
was also active in the forest, says “We were
exercising how to behave in dangerous situations
and only resisting in a passive way. Dangerous
means when the forest guards or the
rangers where taking us out of the forest. You
should not use any offensive language and
don’t get provoked.
Blackboard to organize upcomming tasks.
” Only selected people were supposed to talk to the newspapers to spread the right message, so there was even
a group taking care about how to face the media and coordinate with the NGO`s. The collected data about how
many trees where logged and the location of the logging was sent to scientists and to the commission of the
European Tribunal who investigate the case of this forest.

The Bialowieza forest saving team managed to slow down the logging a lot and succeeded as the logging stopped
in November 2017. But many of the activists are in conflict with the law now, the court cases, with more
than 300 law suits started in autumn. The most common accusation was for entering the forbidden zone and
not leaving it after being asked for, the costs for lawyers and the whole process, are mainly financed by fundings.
Hopefully most accuses will exempt from punishment as the European Court investigated Poland acting
against European law after the clearing of the forest was forced to stopped.
We asked Kasia who is from Greenpeace
and staying permanent at the
forest camp which parties were in
involved in the case of the Bialowieza
forest. She explained this to us:
“I don’t want to talk about sides but
actually there is on one hand Greenpeace
Poland, Wild Poland Foundation,
the Camp for the Forest and
also many different NGO’s, which
are in the collision “I love Puszcza” -
I love the forest.
Kasia, activist from Greenpeace.
The other side is quite complicated and starts with the governmental decision of Jan Szyszko, the minister of
environment, to increases the logging in the forest. The foresters form the state forest company moved in with
big harvesters, additionally they were doing this in the time when the birds are mating. And it’s actually forbidden
as it is a UNESCO protected area. It was illegal that is what we know now. But at this time, they didn’t
want to say that they were wrong and the government was supported by the state forest which also belongs to
the government. “
Because the forest is unique for Europe the government already considered about the topic to make the forest
100% national park. “Lech Kaczynska”, who tragically died in a plane accident, consulted scientists to change
the situation of forest. They created different projects, which went through various scenarios. Form changing
the whole forest into a national park to expanding the strictly protected areas and also about change the strategy
of getting money, achieving economical grows everything connecting with the forest. “Those where very
good projects and programs and we still reading them. They gave us already the answers of many questions.
But the government didn’t accept them. And after Kaczynska nobody tried it again.” Kasia said. With the stop
of the harvesters many people think this topic is over, as it disappeared out of the media. “but the current Situation
is that there is no national park, we need to continue the campaign and our work for the forest. It is still
a long way in front of us.” Kasia said.
The municipality government and local authorities have the last word, when it’s about creating the national
park. The state forest has a great influence in the villages, because they invest money for building roads for example
and is well established. Every family is somehow related to the state forest company because they employ
the people form the villages. “We hope that on one point the local authorities and the people will understand
that tourism can be a future solution and because of that its good to beware the forest.

Of course, the locals have the right to decide about the forest, but the forest doesn’t only belong to them, it belongs
to the country. There could be a bigger group of specialist or scientists making decisions about the forest,
not only the state forest, as they are a logging company. Finally the state forest understood about the importance
of leaving some dead woods, which is the requirement of a healthy forest. The fight against the bark beetle,
was just an excuse for the logging, as it’s a natural process.”
The villages and the locals are really depending to the logging and don’t understand how tourism can be profitable
for them. Bialowieza for example is using tourism, they have bikes and apartments to rent. Among these
locals formed a group called Locals Against Logging, most of them are working as guides in the forest or are
business man who owns apartments and they advocate for creating a national park.
Meeting-Room at the protection camp in Teramiski.
“We experienced a lot of local support and became friends with some local people. Even some of them were
taking part of the protecting or bring food to the camp. The majority however doesn’t want to be involved
in that conflict. It’s a very polarised topic and its actually this group we want to get by making educational
workshops. We want to show that the world is changing and you can’t just log trees which are more than 100
years old.”
On the way to the protected areas in the
forest.

We met a group of beautiful and well-educated people in the forest camp giving a lot up to protect this precious
piece of land. They are very good organized and welcomed us warmly. Kinga brought us to the wolf track
not far from the camp. Here they started the logging because of the bark beetle and after that because of safety
reasons like they said. Meanwhile a group of wild bisons are passing.
“There was a big logging here and we counted how old the trees have been and we marked them if they are over
100 years old. When they are brought out of the forest, we record this with the date and GPS code. The state
forest is selling the woods and this is legal to the polish law but not to the European law, so we are still collect
data here.” It was easy to follow the bison group for a little while. They were slow and loud because of the cracking
woods under their weight but also because at this place should be more trees. On one side you have an
intact forest on the other side just some bushes left it looks like a tree semitary.
On the one hand you have an intact forest, on the othre just some steps
next to it logged trees everywheere.
The camp is now in Teramiski in a wooden house which were given to the group by a polish writer who supports
the idea of saving the forest. In that house they have the opportunity to work on projects and programs
to protect the forest. “We know this forest so well and we want to share our information about it. The info point
should provide scientifically information about the national park and should show the people some solutions
and benefits of creating it into a national park with descriptions and all the reasons why it`s so special in Europe
and worth to protect it.”, explains Kinga. “We are still here, and we are transforming. We want to show that we
want to stay here and participate in the local community. We want to be a point on the map that people can
visit and meet. Now is the time to speak and educate.” They work in Warsaw in different kind of levels about
the national park. „We all have similar way of seeing the world, so we try to live here as zero waste as possible.
Therefore, the camp has its own compost and try to buy things locally. Food will be produced seasonable in the
garden and every week people bring them food from food sharing initiatives in Warsaw.
It’s not easy to take care of everything because the people are changing all the time. At one point we are a quite s
imilar group of people and we want to spread this way of living. We give workshops making meetings for the
people and speaking with newspapers. And doing whatever we can to spread the message.” The forest shows
us what happened if we not treat the environment well, taking care of the environment is the important thing.”
After a while we crossed a small bridge where we took a small rest. Kinga explained us how she got to the camp
and what her tasks have been in the group.

It’s not easy to take care of everything because the people are changing all the time. At one point we are a quite
similar group of people and we want to spread this way of living. We give workshops making meetings for the
people and speaking with newspapers. And doing whatever we can to spread the message.” The forest shows
us what happened if we not treat the environment well, taking care of the environment is the important thing.”
After a while we crossed a small bridge where we took a small rest. Kinga explained us how she got to the camp
and what her tasks have been in the group.
The heads behind the Bialowiieza protection camp.
“I`m a feminist activist for many years, but it`s mostly connected to my work for and with NGOS. I never got
involved into eco activist groups until I came here. When they started the logging I got so mad, because the
government did so many things wrong at this time. Things happened with refugees which I don’t agree with.
It came to this point when you have to decide in your live to do something for yourself maybe carrier or you
go and and join the others who want to make a change for something. I heard from people about the camp
and I reached the open call so I moved here with the dog and some friends. And as I was entering the camp
I knew it that i`m going to stay here. Things are happening here are really having an impact. And it`s very
different to the activism I knew before because its more advouse working. I worked a lot with social education
and anti discrimination education. Thanks to all the blockades we could save so many trees and the thing
which was very motivating that you can see the impact right a way. The power which was coming from all the
people was just amazing. I`m still active at some other fields and earn a bit of money for giving workshops
but my freetime I spend here for the forest. And with all the knowledge I have got about the forest to changed
my live.
Sima and Julian.