Grasshopper no 7, Summer '95
The first stage of the project "Communication in the Carpathians", financed by the Environmental Partnership for Central and Eastern Europe, has been completed. Consequently, I would like to introduce those organisations which worked on the Polish part of the project. They are as follows:
Ukraine was represented by the Carpathian Geographic and Ecological School from Lwow, the Lion Fraternity from Lwow and the "Eco-Centre" from Kiev and on "Pola" participated on behalf of Slovakia.
Below, I describe several Polish members of the Carpathian project.
Since 1989 the group functioned as a Krosno faction of "I prefer to be" (Wolę Być). They carried out several actions in Krosno, like "Iglopol builds, Iglopol destroys" (Iglopol is a major Polish refrigeration works) as well as tree planting and cleaning up green areas. The Małopolska Ecological Association Grünland came into being.last year. They organised an ecology contest in the local press, exhibitions and concerts, an eco-questionnaire distributed among residents of Krosno and its vicinity, seminars for environmentalists from the Eastern Carpathians and Eastern Małopolska including a workshop for teachers from primary schools.
Since 1993 the association has been publishing the Local Bulletin for Eastern Małopolska, a paper which shows how the environmentalist movement in the region works. The organisation is organising an educational film project for schools and "The San for the Vistula " (the San is a river which borders on the Ukraine), a project to promote environmentally-friendly solutions for hydro-engineering. As part of the latter, a natural sewage treatment plant using cane and willow is under construction in Polana, a village in the Bieszczady.mountains. The association has also developed a program entitled "Green Krosno - the Society for the Environment" which is aimed at educating local people. Its creators want to use men who are excluded from the compulsory military service to work in the project.
The Association Grünland has also founded the Regional Centre for Ecological Movement Support - an Information Bureau in Krosno. The Association manages a Polish office of the International Carpathian Bridge - a of environmentalist movements which work in favour of protection of the Carpathians, gathering Organisations from Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia.
Next year the Association is planning to organise, in co-operation with the Fund for Supporting Pro-Environmental Initiatives in Kraków, travelling exhibitions as well as publishing some educational materials, i.e. maps of environmental hazard in the region of Eastern Małopolska. They are also preparing a number of meetings and courses for local environmentalists.
Grünland, together with the Environmental and Cultural Association "The Gaja Club", is going to organise the Vistula Festival in June. Moreover, they will continue the above-mentioned projects and co-operate with the Ecological Association Grünland in Lwow. The core staff of the association are four people and there are about two hundred volunteers working for the organisation.
Grünland issues several publications, namely:
They are preparing a set of informative materials "WODA" ("Water") as well as educational films for schools.
Address:
The Małopolska Ecological Association
"Grünland"
ul. Rynek 2
38 400 Krosno
tel. 48/131/64902
fax 48/131/23618
The group was founded in 1989 and so far It has not been registered. It has organised exhibitions and other cultural events as well as running an ecological library. In June 1994 the organisation prepared a protest at the gates of a travelling zoo. The group gathers a lot of pupils and students. It organises actions in favour of animal rights.
The group works on the basis of action. They prepare local action like the Earth day, Cleaning the World, etc. They participate in the campaign "The San for the Vistula": As a part of the latter they have undertaken the organisation, in co-operation with the Fund for Supporting Environmental Initiatives in Kraków, a route for tourists from Sandomierz to Leżajsk along the Vistula and the San, 110 km long. In the project "Communication in the Carpathians" the club closely co-operates with the Fund for Supporting Environmental Initiatives and the Regional Centre for Ecological Movement Support. It helps in creating maps of environmental hazards, regularly corresponds with the Local Bulletin for Eastern Małopolska "Green Galicia" (Zielona Galicja Galicia is a region of Poland), as well as organising and taking part in the meetings of the Council of the Regional Environmental Groups.
Since the club is unregistered it cannot employ regular staff and does not have substantial financial means. All the above-mentioned undertakings are worked on by volunteers.
The group has published:
Address:
The Ecological Club Nisko,
ul. Kolejowa 11, 37-400 Nisko
tel. 41 21 43
The organisation was founded in 1993. So far it has been focused on action in favour animal rights, waste management and the promotion of vegetarianism. It is a member of the Northern Alliance for Environment and Development, the S.P.A.N and the Council of Regional Environmental Groups.
At present the organisation does not have any fixed program, it is not registered and does not have any regular financial resources. It participates in publishing the Green Galicia and maps of environmental hazards as well as in the project "The San for the Vistula".
About ten volunteers are involved in the movement.
Address:
The Green Federation in Leżajsk
ul. Kopernika 1/55, 37-300 Leżajsk
tel. 211 54
The group was founded in 1990 and initially it was named the St Francis of Assisi Ecological Movement. So far the Movement has organised a number of exhibitions, meetings, lectures, concerts, art contests in schools, tree planting action in towns as well as a fair of environmentally-friendly products. Each year the organisation prepares Earth Day in Jasło and the accompanying events. In September 1993 the group opened the Ecological Library, the first and the only one in the Krosno voivodship. Earlier the Movement was involved in country-wide actions like "Damn the Dam" and the anti-incineration campaign.
The Movement co-operated with the Commission for Environmental Protection in Jasło in regard to the introduction of waste seperation in the town. Apart from the Ecological Library, the group does not carry out any day to day work. Its functioning is based on the participation of volunteers. Its regular co-operators are the Town Council in Jasło, the Commission for Environmental Protection in Jasło and the Jasło Cultural Centre.
The organisation is going to continue the action mentioned above and focus on pro-environmental education, promotion of alternative transport and waste management.
At present the group is undergoing a moment of crisis due to the leader having left them.
Address:
The Ecological Movement in Jasło
P.O. Box 69
38-200 Jasło
The society as a group came into being in 1993 and spheres of its activity varied: from the Circle of Country Women to the Bieszczady Centre for Ecological Education. Its creation was inspired by a nation-wide contest in which the local community took part called "The Little Fatherlands". So far they have organised a number of meetings with the locals, basket-making contests for the unemployed, exhibitions of the local handicraft. The society manages a gallery of regional art. Also, it organises the eco and agro-tourism in the region of Czarna. The organisation offers legal advice and, as the first in the Bieszczady mountains, it prepares cultural events, lectures and meetings; it also has an interest in ecological education. The society is a significant participator in the project "Communication in the Carpathians" as it organises meetings in the region of the Bieszczady.
At present the Bieszczady Centre for Ecological Education is being prepared for opening. It is a very important undertaking that may positively affect young people from the region. The group is ready to co-operate with other organisations from a similar sphere of activity.
The society brings together physicians, teachers, businessmen and people from many different walks of life.
The organisation publishes a quarterly entitled the Czarna and the World.
Address:
The Culture of the Earth Workshop in Czarna
Kamila Soszyńska
38-715 Czarna 63
The Mielec Vanguard for Ecological Liberation was founded in 1992. Its program combines environmental protection, rights for animals, vegetarianism, ecological education and waste management. The organisation focuses mainly on rights for animals. So far it has organised an action of hanging breeding boxes for birds, cleaning the town park, recyclable materials collection and promotion of environmentally-friendly containers. The group participated in the anti-circus and anti-incineration campaigns and managed to stop a number of projects posing threat to the environment. It contributed a lot to the accomplishment of the project "The San for the Vistula"; it also participates in developing the map of environmental hazards and in the meetings of the Council of the Regional Environmentalist Groups. The organisation offers legal counsel to people who want to be excluded from compulsory military service.
The plans of the group include introduction of garbage seperation in the town.
The Federation has about fifteen volunteers. It has not been registered so far.
Address:
/.../
The local branch of the Polish Ecological Club in Stalowa Wola was founded in December 1991 and its activity is focused on the problems of the town and its vicinity.
The program of the organisation includes any pro-environmental activities. So far the group has organised "No-Car Day". It runs an Office for Environmental Information and Counselling. At present it co-operates with primary schools in creating groups of the Young Friends of the Earth, organises actions like tree planting and cleaning of green areas. The Club publishes handbills, brochures and calendars, conducts statistical ecological surveys (i.e. preparing questionnaires and collecting data), participates in meetings and workshops.
Its members are people of different professions: teachers, students, ecologists.
Address:
The Polish Ecological Club
"The Friends of the Earth"
Urszula Serafin
ul. Metalowców 17/1, 37-450 Stalowa Wola
The stimulus that initiated formation of the group was the fact that its founders worked together on holiday actions. They decided to form the Federation during the Congress of the Green Federation in Trzy Morgi, in 1994. The first action they undertook was taking part in "The San for the Vistula".
So far I have no information concerning their activity apart from co-operation with the Polish Ecological Club in Stalowa Wola and participation in the meetings of the Council of the Regional Environmentalist Groups.
Address:
Robert Sander
ul. Parkingowa 11, 37-450 Stalowa Wola
tel. 48/16/427199
The group was founded by students of the local secondary school. Under the present name the organisation has been functioning for a year. It takes part in every pro-environmental action that is carried out in the region of the Bieszczady. The group willingly participates in any forms of activity.
The Federation has been present at meetings of environmental groups and participated in organising a holiday camp which was a part of the action "The San for the Vistula".
Address:
The Green Federation in Ustrzyki Dolne
Żłobek 13, 38-710 Czarna
tel. 12
The Association came into being at the beginning of 1993 in Rzeszów. It gathers people who love animals. Their main goal is to support the animal shelter in Rzeszów. In their fight for animal rights the Association organises anti-circus and anti-hunting protests. The group organises rock concerts to finance its activities.
Address:
Szymon Jakubowski
ul. Zygmuntowska 10, 35-025 Rzeszów
tel./fax 37 043 (Dziennik Polski)
I am sorry that I could not describe all organisations and I am aware that my knowledge about the pro-environmental activity that is carried out in the region is limited. Therefore I would be grateful for texts that would cast more light on the issue. I know that the Grasshopper will publish them willingly.
Artur Sało
1) Polish version of this text was published in GH no 5