Looking Back

 

How did this information impact what you now know?

 

Going into this, I was not expecting to experience as much as I did. I definitely did not expect to see wolves, or the interesting interaction of lynx in Vadim’s camera traps. After observing and learning about the decline of wolf dens and the general population, I have come to realize how extreme the effects of logging actually are. I would also have never expected lynx to have the ability to drive out wolves out of a forest.

Aside from learning about certain behavior that wolves and lynxes tend to demonstrate, I also learned about the history of the forest. Our group was lucky to observe the Old Growth, which was breathtakingly beautiful. Most importantly, however, we also saw and explored the land dugouts that were made during World War I and World War II. That had a very big impact on me personally, especially after Vadim gave us a lecture on our last day. Seeing the photos and hearing the stories from last century made me feel like the Naliboki Forest is more than just a natural habitat in Belarus.


What kind of action could be taken to protect this forest?

I believe that logging would be the first issue to resolve. We cannot completely avoid it, but I think that we have the ability to reduce it, or at least transfer it to another area of Belarus that does not hold so much wild life that heavily depends on its habitat.

Furthermore, I believe that the history of the forest itself should be promoted more. By amplifying the focus on the occurrences in this forest and the effect that they had on the people that lived there at the time, many are bound to adopt a different perspective on its importance. If museums were to promote the Naliboki Forest, there might be a bigger group that is willing to fight for its preservation and protection.

Conclusions:
 
All in all, this trip completely changed my perspective and interpretation of Belarus. So far, I've only been exposed to the main city, Minsk, with a few trips that went over an hour away from the center. Seeing the preserved Belarusian language that I don't tend to hear downtown made me realize that Belarus has a rich culture hidden beyond Minsk. I am thankful to everyone who made this trip possible and fun. I hope that more of us are exposed to the beauty and secrets that the Naliboki Forest holds.