Poland expands nature reserves in Beskidy and Świętokrzyskie regions

New efforts to expand nature reserves are underway in different regions of Poland. In the Beskid mountains, the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Katowice is considering the creation of three new reserves: Rycerzowa, Bucznik, and Stary Bór. These proposals stem from the Nature Club’s “Nature Reserves – Time for a Comeback!” initiative, aimed at increasing protection for high-value natural areas. The Rycerzowa proposal focuses on the Wielka Rycerzowa massif near the Polish-Slovak border, while the Bucznik project involves nearly 98 hectares of forest in the Silesian Beskids.

In the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, several conservation updates have been implemented. A new 50-hectare reserve named “Klonowska Góra” has been established in the Łączna commune to protect Carpathian beech forests and a significant bat wintering site located in an old mining adit. Additionally, the “Cisów im. prof. Zygmunta Czubińskiego” reserve has been expanded from approximately 40 to 210 hectares to ensure ecological continuity. A third reserve, Panieńska Górka, is also planned for the Chęciny commune to protect xerothermic steppe habitats.