The museum is located within Bialowieza National Park, founded in 1921 - the oldest Polish national park, and also one of the oldest in Europe. The park is situated in the middle of the famous Bialowieza Forest, which stretches for 150,000 hectares (580 sq mi) on each side of the Polish-Belarusian border, covering an enormous area of over 10,500 hectares (40.5 sq mi). In 1977, it was recognised by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve, and in 1979 it was entered on the UNESCO list of World Cultural and Natural Heritage sites. Since 1992, along with the Belarusian portion of the park, it has comprised the Polish-Belarusian World Heritage Site.
The last European primeval forests have survived in the BialowieÀa Forest, in which there can be found a variety of unusual flora and fauna, including vascular plants (725 species, of which 14 are very rare orchids); fungi (over 3000 species); mosses (200); birds (120); mammals (44); and invertebrates (20,000, primarily insects). The symbol of the park and the Forest is the bison - the largest animal living in Europe today, which, though virtually extinct already, lives in the Bialowieza Forest in the wild. Here one can visit a reserve for bison and other animals (such as Polish ponies, tarpans and wolves), and a nature preserve (4747 hectares, or 18.3 sq mi), which, however, can only be visited with a guide on foot or horseback, and only on marked trails.
The museum has exhibitions on the history of the Bialowieza Forest, plant and animal exhibits, and a collection of bee-keeping equipment used by the people who at one time lived in the Forest.
There is also a Centre for Nature Education in the park, which is housed in an old forester's lodge dating back to 1845. The Centre is geared toward working with tourists directly, and organises various activities and events (including international workshops), whose participants become acquainted with the natural environment of the Bialowieza Forest and the problems related to its protection.
Muzeum Przyrodniczo-Leśne Białowieskiego Parku Narodowego
im. prof. J. Miklaszewskiego
Park Pałacowy 11
17-230 Białowieża
Region: podlaskie
Phone: (+48 85) 681 22 75, (+48 85) 682-97-02
Fax: (+48 85) 681 27 56
WWW: www.bpn.com.pl
Email: bpn@lynx.bpn.bialowieza.pl