The inaccessibility of the Carpathian Mountains has protected their natural environment for many years. It is in these highlands that the largest areas of primeval forests (pralisi) have been preserved, and the high-altitude meadows, known as polonynas, have become crucial strongholds for unique species found nowhere else.
However, the situation has changed – the mountains are now under threat of destruction.
The state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” (DP “Lisy Ukrayiny”) is building logging roads, cutting down primeval forests, and seeking to simplify the approval process for logging in high-mountain forests.
Furthermore, construction of wind power plants has already begun on the Runa Polonyna. Next in line for destruction are the Polonynas Apetska, Krasna, and Hostra. The largest meadows, Borzhava and Sydovets, are targeted for transformation into a new “Bukovel” (a major ski resort), with plans for extensive hotel and lift construction.
All of this means that the wild, untamed landscapes and pristine nature of the Carpathians may soon vanish.
To prevent this from happening, we need the maximum amount of information on the flora and fauna of the highlands.
Your Help is Needed!
We call on everyone who lives in or travels through the Carpathians – please join the effort to save what you love.
Install the iNaturalist app on your smartphone, turn on geolocation, and start photographing everything living you see in your favorite spots: plants, insects, birds, animal tracks, mosses, and lichens. The app will automatically add your photos to the global biodiversity database, and expert biologists will help identify your findings. Find out more from our video (in Ukrainian).
The more photos we have, the higher the chance of gathering evidence of the ecological value of every wild location in the Carpathians. This data is vital for conservation arguments and the establishment of protected areas.
