Amazing trip to the last natural forest at the European Lowland Area 🍃 Bialowieza National Park (strict nature reserve)

Have you ever walked in the forest with a licensed guide? If you would like to go to the strict nature reserve in Bialowieza National Park it is necessary to employ such a person. Walking alone in the forest that is monitored is subjected to a high financial penalty. In the forest you can only walk on the path. You are not allowed to take anything with you from the forest.

You also have to accept the risk that some old, decayed tree will fall on you, or you will become a dinner for a wild animals ;) If you are not afraid of all of the above-mentioned inconveniences, you can go through the historic, wooden gate of the strict nature reserve of the Bialowieza National Park and set off to meet with nature that is breathtaking and allows you to see a completely different forest than the one you previously knew.

The strict reserve is a special place in the Bialowieza Forest, an area where people do not decide which trees will be cut down and which ones are worth leaving, for example, for wood production. Where man cannot interfere in the forest, miracles happen, because nature knows best what is good for it, what it needs. Shortly after entering the forest we noticed a beautiful tree with a twisted trunk. According to the guide in typical forests, such trees are cut first :/

There are many fallen trees in this forest. In a typical forest, such trees would be removed, here they gain a "second life", inhabited by many species of plants and animals. Quote from WWF [1]: "The Bialowieza Forest teems with a natural cycle of life and death. In addition to oaks and perpendicular spruces full of vitality, the forest landscape is shaped by fallen stumps and branches and decaying logs. The latter often create water troughs in which boars love to splash. Dead trees have many important functions. As many as 50% of the species living in the Forest depend on them. "

It surprises the biological richness of the forest, a fungus called in latin - Xylaria polymorpha, which is also called jokingly "dead man's fingers", looks interesting and unusual ;)

You can see there a lot of polypores and mushrooms that come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Polypores could be used as a natural climbing wall ;)

I was delighted with the lichen growing on the branch. Unfortunately, I couldn't take them with me from the forest, because, as I mentioned before, nothing can be taken from the strict reserve. But if it would be possible I would love to frame them and hang them on the wall.

At first I was not comfortable with hiring a guide, mainly because it is expensive but during the trip I realised the value of walking with such a person. We got a great guide with great knowledge, and most importantly, able to convey it in an interesting way. It was the best biology lesson in my life. As I walked, I learned about the names of plants and animals, and also learned a lot about the life cycle of the forest and the importance of its individual elements.

After some time, I was able to recognize the sounds made by various types of woodpeckers. I almost managed to photograph another bird - a nuthatch, unfortunately - it came out blurred, because it was just flying away.

The size of the trees made a huge impression on me, especially the forest oaks.

And also fancifully twisted branches, which, when we move the imagination a bit, resemble fairy-tale creatures ;)

Have you ever been to the Bialowieza Forest or similar natural forest or were you planning to go there?

Source of the quote [1]: https://www.wwf.pl/srodowisko/lasy/puszcza-bialowieska