I was gifted Alan Weisman's The World Without Us over the holidays and started reading it this afternoon. I haven't gotten very far yet, but I really enjoyed the opening chapter's description of Białowieża Puszcza -- the half million acres that is all that is left of Europe's old-growth, lowland wilderness.
The forest is home to two distinct genetic families of wisent, which are separated by a fence (built by the Soviets in 1980) that runs along the border between Belarus and Poland. Beyond the bison, there are more species found here than anywhere else on the European continent, even though the area does not enjoy the benefit of variations in elevation and climate that might increase the number of habitats.
It sounds like a gorgeous setting. If you've ever wanted to see the Garden of Eden, this would be one site to put on your "Places to Visit" list.
1 comment:
I'm reading The World Without Us and have found myself dreaming about Białowieża Puszcza since reading about it. I've added it to the list of places I really want to see. Weisman's description of those ancient forests are very captivating to me.
Post a Comment