You must see - Puszcza Białowieska - Zwolnij Naturalnie

Nature and Forest Museum

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Nature and Forest Museum is the oldest museum in the Polish national parks. Its traditions reach back to the interwar period, and its collection includes many precious scientific collections and rare specimens. BNP Nature and Forest Museum is housed in a modern building, which in an innovative and attractive manner exhibits natural collections, ranging from zoology, through botany ending with historic use of the forest. processes characteristic for the Białowieża National Park receive special focus.

Permanent exposition presents the most characteristic forest communities of the forest, including riverine forest, alder carr, decidous lime-hornbeam-oak forest, pine forest, boreal sprucebog), ecological processes (e.g. tree decomposition stages) and natural phenomena (e.g. extraordinary number of species of fungi and animal world). The culture related section of the exhibit is devoted to presentation of the types of historic use of the Forest over the span of several centuries (haymaking, bee keeping, processing wood into turpentine and charcoal, narrow gauge forest trains).

All the nature-related issues are divided into thematic blocks with the use of realistic pictures presenting animals, mushrooms and plants in their natural environments. A number of means of expression were used during design of the said pictures: scenic light, sounds (including natural sounds of birds and large mammals), large format coloured photographs, mock-up models.

Computers equipped with touch screens (so-called multimedia stands) were installed on two exposition levels with the total area of 1500 m2, providing rapid and simplified access to additional information, supplementing information provided by the tour guide.

Museum is prepared also to meet the needs of handicapped people. People on wheelchairs can visit the exhibition without any problems. They can also move between the building levels thanks to a platform and a lift, which were installed in the building especially for this purpose. The blind are allowed to examine selected exhibits using the sense of touch, though exclusively after a prior curator's consent.

Nature and Forest Museum also features permanently varying temporary exhibits, a sight seeing tower and a kiosk with souvenirs (located at the Museum box office), offering publications about the visited region, maps, internal publications about the Białowieża National Park as well as interesting and unique souvenirs.