Wirtualna Polska has taken 1 hectare of forest in the Biebrza Valley region under protection. This forest is a natural extension of the Biebrza National Park. It is another initiative carried out by Wirtualna Polska in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Foundation and part of WP Holding's Sustainable Development Strategy, under the environmental goal of "biodiversity protection." In total, WP has already protected 3.5 hectares of forests.
The Eternal Forest project focuses on protecting existing old forests, often classified as wastelands. The Natural Heritage Foundation buys land to ensure these forests grow and are never cut down, supervises them, and regularly measures the amount of wood per unit area according to standard scientific methodology. Additionally, Eternal Forests provide shelter for many species, retain water, cool the air on hot days, and prevent floods. These forests grow near protected areas, in wetlands, mountains, and river valleys—important ecological corridors, often on wet and marshy habitats. Eternal Forests are not fenced off and can be walked through freely.
The Eternal Forest of Wirtualna Polska is an alder forest (ols). Alder forests are among the forest communities that may disappear from the Polish landscape. Their existence depends on the presence of water. The climate crisis and extreme droughts already occurring in Poland, along with the effects of decades of wetland drainage, make these patches of alder forest incredibly valuable and in need of protection.
The Eternal Forest is located in the Biebrza Valley, bordering the Biebrza National Park. More about it was shared by Radosław Michalski and Paweł Średziński from the Natural Heritage Foundation in a film available here:
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This is another project between Wirtualna Polska and the Natural Heritage Foundation. Previously, they created a protection zone, a so-called micro-reserve for the endangered golden eagle, and supported forest ranger activities.
The project aligns with the 15th point of the UN's 2030 Agenda "Life on Land" and the Wirtualna Polska Holding Sustainable Development Strategy for 2022-2025, which aims to protect biodiversity. Previously, WP, along with the Las Na Zawsze Foundation, planted 1 hectare of forest in Olędy near Siedlce and protected 1.5 hectares of forest in Bochotnica.
The Natural Heritage Foundation has been operating as an expert organization since 2008, bringing together naturalists, foresters, sociologists, and lawyers working to protect Poland's natural heritage and its borderlands. The foundation implements actions for the most valuable natural areas, including legal assistance for local naturalists, applying for protection of natural monuments or zones for valuable species, and advocating for the cessation of timber harvesting in their habitats.