EXCURSION IN THE «GAS MASK»
The article by Victor Bakharev,
The senior lecturer, Philosophy Doctor in Biology, Grodno city
Specially for the site «Belovezhskaya Pushcha — XXI Century",
December 2, 2003.
On November
The school program was interesting and productive. Subjects for examination were theory, methods and phenetical, cytological and cytogenetic approaches of estimation of the environmental quality. Biodiversity as one of the approaches to the environmental estimation and, certainly, the problem of ecological education were discussed too. During the school I was surprised at novelty and originality of approaches to the solving of problems. It is pleasant that Brest Pedagogical University lays special stress to young researchers. By the way, they have caught the mountain cicada in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha and made some more micro-discoveries as well.
Undoubtedly, I was impatient for the second day when a trip was scheduled. By the way, my friends who left the Belovezhskaya Pushcha a long time ago asked me to join them on the trip. Let's agree it is a rare opportunity to visit those sites within the Belovezhskaya Pushcha where open access is restricted.
So we are in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha at an entrance barrier. Waiting for an accompanying guide, we do the ritual walk «to the john» (toilet). After visiting it we carefully wiped legs on the grass and returned back. As we waited our guide (approximately 10 minutes) two timber carrying trucks, full of thorough planed planks, passed by us. There were perfect planks. They radiated pleasant yellow colour of the healthy wood. Regarding these timber carrying trucks I made a comment for visitors — these planks are produced from «old trees with dead rotten wood«. Visitors understood my humour and smiled. At last, there was the guide. I was very interested to see this woman, the person empowered to act for the Park's management and authorized to guide excursions for tourists across the Pushcha. This person was my good acquaintance Maria Bedok. Maria Arkad'evna, as she was introduced to us, took the front seat of the bus and we went along a »small circle« which is very well known to me.
So below are trip impressions of the former Pushcha's employee.
1. The Belovezhskaya Pushcha is very sick. I think of not only social sores but also of physical ones. Yes, the Pushcha is very sick and it «is loudly crying on it». Tornado's consequences are «bleeding ulcers« on the body of the mighty Giant-Forest. It was painful to look to them. The »bark beetle« is a grief of the Pushcha. It is not casual I have written the word »the bark beetle« within inverted commas. The guide also said that numerous reasons had affected dying of spruce forests: a very dry summer and lowering of the level of underground water while nature has biological methods for quick liquidation of weakened trees. The nature has chosen the bark beetle as one of this method. Therefore a question is arisen in respect to this. May the struggle with the natural forest doctor, namely the bark beetle, be considered as biologically correct solution? Yes, it is justified from economic point of view — wood is lost. But what is about biology and ecology? It is like an ill patient would be treated by destruction of leucocytes, a quantity of which is increased in the blood as a reaction to the appearance of infection.
2. The Pushcha is sick from both ideological and social point of view. During the whole excursion Maria cautiously looked to my side from time to time, being afraid to say something superfluous. It was like an excursion «in the (intellectual) gas mask», as if one wants to say something but he is afraid. It strongly reminded excursions on the Great Chinese Wall in the Maoism's period when there were shown happy faces of the people on the background of collapsing communist system. But maybe, then they were really happy pending the close crash of this terrible monster. Anyway, I did not see gladness on the faces of my local friends during meetings in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha, unfortunately.
3. The Belovezhskaya Pushcha is highly neglected. Yes, the timber carrying trucks are available. Yes, there is mass timber harvesting. But at the same time, if to look around, the culture of forest-technical work is far of ideal. The human is too strongly affecting environment within the reserved forest. The timber of good quality was harvesting in times as I worked here. Today is the same: «sanitary» fellings of only good wood are provided.
As a whole, everyone was pleased with results of the excursion: Maria — because I had not provoked her into unpleasant explanations of some «piquant» moments of the Pushcha's life; the tourists — as they saw the real Pushcha though, alas, it is far of epic. At last, I was also very pleased due to my touching meeting with my beloved Belovezhskaya Pushcha which requires an urgent help. It is necessary to help the Belovezhskaya Pushcha! Unfortunately, meetings with people whom I expected to see were not held . But, upon my honour, during the excursion I made the most important thing by showing and telling for tourists about the former greatness and the present neglect of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
See you soon, my beloved Belovezhskaya Pushcha!
I love you and there is no doubt I will help you!