The Białowieża Forest World Heritage site, on the border between Poland and Belarus, is one of the last and largest remaining parts of the immense primeval forest that once stretched across the European Plain. Situated on the watershed of the Baltic Sea and Black Sea, this transboundary property is exceptional for the opportunities it offers for biodiversity conservation. It is home to the largest population of the heaviest land animal of the continent, the European bison (Bison bonasus) (almost 25% of the total world's population).
The area has exceptionally conservation significance due to the scale of its old growth forests, which include extensive undisturbed areas where natural processes are on-going. A consequence is the richness in dead wood, standing and on the ground, and consequently a high diversity of fungi and saproxylic invertebrates. The property protects a diverse and rich wildlife of which 59 mammal species, over 250 bird, 13 amphibian, 7 reptile and over 12,000 invertebrate species.
About the stamps
The first stamp is part of the series Protected Animals, issued on December 4, 1996. All four stamps (with the same face value - 0.55 PLN) depict European bison.
The last two stamps are part of the series designed by Karol Tabaka and issued on July 31, 2017, to mark The 200th Anniversary of the Janów Podlaski Stud, a world-renowned horse breeding establishment that specializes in the purebred Arabian horse.
References
Białowieża Forest - UNESCO official website
Białowieża Forest - Wikipedia
Sender: Krystyna Betiuk (direct swap)
Sent from Białowieża (Podlaskie / Poland), on 31.08.2017
Photo: A. Stachurski
A great card & amazing stamps
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
DeleteI am glad that you like it :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I like all the postcards received from you. Thank you very much. I owe you several postcards, but I'll make up soon. :)
Delete