This is what the Orłówka River looks like today – winding through the center of the Strict Protection Area of the Białowieża National Park. Instead of a “swift” current, we now see a dry riverbed, moss, peat, and young trees beginning to grow where water once flowed not long ago.

What we are witnessing is not only the change of seasons. It’s also the result of ongoing drought and increasingly frequent rainless periods. Our field staff, working within the LIFE+ ForBioSensing project, observe such phenomena daily in different parts of the Forest. Their work helps us better understand how this unique ecosystem is changing.

Autumn in the Forest brings peace and color, but it also reveals how clearly nature responds to the lack of water. It’s a natural process, yet its pace tells us a lot about the scale of the transformations taking place in nature.

Text: W. Duranowska, Ł. Kuberski
Photos: Ł. Kuberski, map: M. Lisiewicz