By the end of last year, four international nature conservation organisations produced a three minutes film about the stunning wilderness area of Polesia. The region straddles the borders of Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. It is Europe’s greatest intact floodplain with pristine forests and immense wetlands.
The short movie shows the beauty of this incredible landscape in Belarus and Ukraine, but also the threats it is facing. During nine days, the film crew starred seven local conservationists as representatives of a big team and showed what they are doing to protect Polesia.
The movie was shot as part of the project Polesia – Wilderness without borders: Protecting one of Europe’s largest natural landscapes. The project’s aim is to expand existing protected areas, designate new ones, strengthen its management, restore drained mires, raise awareness and develop alternative sustainable livelihoods. This five year’s project started in 2019 and is part of the Endangered Landscapes Programme.
One of the movie’s conservation heroes, Sergiy Zhyla, dedicated all his life to the conservation of the Polesia. He says: “I won’t even allow myself to think, that Polesia could perish one day. We all need Polesia!”
The E40 waterway would have devastating impacts on Polesia’s nature and humans alike. Let’s save Polesia, Europe’s Amazon.
Further information
- Learn more about the project “Polesia – Wilderness without borders: Protecting one of Europe’s largest natural landscapes”
- Discover Polesia and its values
- Find out more about the planned E40 waterway