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Straddling the border between Poland and Belarus, the ancient Bia\u0142owie\u017ca Forest, one of Europe\u2019s last remaining primeval woodlands, is already under stress from decades of drainage, drought and habitat fragmentation.<\/p>\n
As geopolitical tensions and security threats from Russia and Belarus rise, Poland plans to construct a massive network of military fortifications along its 700-kilometer (435-mile) eastern frontier through the \u201cEast Shield\u201d initiative launched in 2024.\u00a0 However, conservationists say the initiative, which would involve constructing traditional concrete bunkers, minefields and anti-tank ditches through the UNESCO World Heritage site, would cause severe destruction to local wildlife, reports<\/a> contributor Marta Kasztelan for a Mongabay video.<\/p>\n To prevent widespread habitat destruction, scientists from the Polish Academy of Sciences proposed an alternative strategy known as \u201cwarwilding\u201d \u2014 restoring dense forests, rivers and bogs to serve as natural physical barriers against heavy military vehicles.<\/p>\n \u201cPlaces like this are very important because a tank can\u2019t get through. So, if we expect an attack from that side, then we should preserve this type of environment,\u201d Michal Zmihorski, a conservation biologist with the Polish Academy of Sciences, says in the video.<\/p>\n To the researchers\u2019 surprise, Poland\u2019s military leadership embraced the proposal and incorporated ecological recovery into its border defense plans. \u201cOur position is that the construction of the \u2018East Shield\u2019 and environmental protection can go hand in hand,\u201d says Marek Pietrzak, a spokesperson for the Polish Armed Forces. He notes that natural terrain can actively stall advancing forces, adding that \u201cthe landscape can put up a fight.\u201d<\/p>\n Although Polish authorities earmarked $120 million in European Union funding for nature-based defense projects, progress on the ground remains slow and relies heavily on volunteers and conservation groups, according to Zmihorski. Over decades, more than 700 kilometers (435 miles) of drainage ditches and regulated rivers turned once-impenetrable swamps into dry, walkable land, threatening native ecosystems.<\/p>\n Conservationists with non-governmental organizations like the Polish Association for Bird Protection (PTOP) are working to rewild local waterways to retain vital groundwater. \u201cI think that protecting the forest can be compatible with national security, especially in this area,\u201d says Edyta Kapowicz, a conservationist with PTOP. \u201cWhat we do helps our country\u2019s defense.\u201d<\/p>\n Conflicting local development projects, including widening a portion of the 2,000 kilometers (about 1,243 miles) of roads running through the forest, threaten to undermine natural barriers. Zmihorski notes that immediate action is necessary to reverse water loss and secure the region.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must act drastically, in terms of scale and pace. It\u2019s not like we can ponder this for another five years \u2026 because the geopolitical situation is very uncertain,\u201d Zmihorski says.<\/p>\n Watch the full video by <\/em>Mongabay <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n Banner image:<\/em><\/strong> A collared flycatcher (<\/em>Ficedula albicollis) in Bia\u0142owie\u017ca Forest. Image by Frank Vassen via <\/em>Wikimedia Commons<\/em><\/a> (<\/em>CC BY 2.0<\/em><\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n
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