Żubr’s Fund helps Biebrza National Park to buy land

Żubr’s Fund joins forces with the Biebrza National Park in purchasing plots of land located within areas that should be even more efficiently protected. It is the first initiative of that kind at the junction of business and environmental protection in Poland, and at the same time the response of Żubr’s Fund to the demands of the EU and UN to return lands duly belonging to nature in order to bring the climate and environmental crisis to a stop.
 
– These days, protecting the environment, including wild animals, becomes more and more significant. In the report released in June this year, the United Nations Environment Programme calls on all countries of the world to facilitate a great green recovery, which is in the best interest of humanity – comments Prof. Piotr Skubała from the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection at the University of Silesia in Katowice.

Fitting into that trend, this year Żubr’s Fund works together with the Biebrza National Park, among other entities. The wetlands in the Biebrza river valley, one of the last valleys in Europe that have not been destroyed by people, cumulate about 500 million m³ of water, which is more or less as much as in Poland’s biggest retention tanks. The swamps cool down the climate, enhance biodiversity, serve as natural air conditioning, and constitute a one-of-a-kind bird habitat admired by entire Europe. However, it is worth noticing that about 40% of the area of the Biebrza National Park is privately owned, which means that not everywhere nature is duly protected by limiting bothering animals and destroying invaluable species of plants and mushrooms to a minimum, expanding strictly and actively protected areas, preventing the peat fields from drying out, or carrying out monitoring and scientific research. For that reason, Żubr’s Fund has commenced a long-term cooperation with the Biebrza National Park the goal of which is to support purchasing of lands within its territory to expand the surface area owned by the park.

It is commonly known that appropriate environmental protection is essential for climate change, and thus has a direct impact on the quality of our life and social balance.

Expanding the Park’s land inventory is an important and long-lasting process. Thanks to the engagement of Żubr’s Fund, the process might be speeded up, and the first planned parcel has already been bought with the use of the Fund’s resources. This piece of land is an environmentally invaluable breeding habitat and feeding ground of the greater spotted eagle (less than 300 m to the nest) and a concentration area for migratory birds, including whistlers, white-fronted geese, and cranes.

Żubr’s Fund takes action in the times when no new national parks have been established in Poland for 20 years. Its activities reflect the viewpoint of Poles, who display a positive attitude towards national parks. In a survey conducted by Żubr’s Fund, 75% of the respondents supported the idea of increasing their number. In the same research, 75% agreed that national parks protect endangered species, and over 60% claimed that their territory should be expanded. The vast majority of the population (90%) supports the existence of national parks.        

The partnership with the Biebrza National Park fits into the consistently executed mission of the Żubr brand owned by Kompania Piwowarska to actively support wild animals by reinvesting part of the revenue in them. To reach that goal, the brand has established Żubr’s Fund the job of which is to educate, save and protect nature. This mission is executed in environmentally invaluable regions of Poland. The Fund supports various environmental initiatives – long-terms ones, like the cooperation with the Biebrza National Park, and those that require taking quick action, like providing help when the Biebrza valley was on fire.  

– We are glad that we can help improve the situation of Polish national parks. We feel responsible for protecting endangered species in Poland – the heroes of Żubr’s stories. Our activities are not a one-time campaign, but a consistently executed, long-term commitment. We work together with state institutions, scientists and public benefit organizations, engaging and informing a wide group of consumers about the needs of Polish nature – says Urszula Czerniawska, Senior Brand Manager for Żubr.

In 2019, the Żubr brand donated one million zloty to protect endangered species, in 2020 it financed specialist equipment for the Białowieża National Park worth one million zloty and this year another million will be allocated to protect wild nature in its original shape.

More information on the Fund’s activity can be found at: www.funduszubra.pl