More information
Description
Elimination of greenery, both single trees and avenues or parks, is becoming a serious and noticeable problem, which significantly lowers the quality of people’s lives. As a group of community activists protecting trees in Rzeszow, we observe a growing dissatisfaction with the removal of high greenery in our city and the lack of an adequate response to this problem. More than 6,000 trees have been cut down in Rzeszow in 2021, and about 43,000 trees in 2011-2014. With such a scale of the problem, making residents aware of the role of trees in our environment, as well as providing knowledge and necessary skills will not only integrate the ‘friends of trees’, but will make them more effective in action. As part of the project we will convince the residents and local authorities that old trees and their complexes are as much a tourist attraction as the Old Town Square or the Castle in Rzeszów. We will create a Virtual Monumental Tree Trail – a modern, attractive website showing that old trees are an important element of a modern city, providing shelter from the turmoil of urban life. Trees can be the subject of an outdoor lesson, as well as create an important, ‘emotional’ part of the urban landscape for people who have spent their lives in their shade. They were also witnesses of important events in the city''s history, e.g. the pedunculate oak at 7 Witkacy Street in Rzeszów is located at the site of a historical action of the Home Army (Armia Krajowa), in which about 40 people were killed. Such "micro-histories" we want to collect and present on the website.
Summary of project results
1. Activation of residents. 4 housing estates - banners on trees, about their protection and importance for humans, brochures "ABC of a very green activist" with instructions and information about the project, meetings "Let''s talk about trees and about us" (what would those who care about nature and those for whom trees are a source of problems: "littering" leaves, insects, shadow, danger, etc.).
2. Guard department - we will select 8 motivated tree supporters who will undergo training in the legal aspects of protection and procedures for granting the status of natural monuments (with a practical workshop part). We will run a department with them. guarding, coordinated by a tree guard (employed person), in Rzeszów, with unlimited support from a law firm during the project (it will solve our problem of lack of a lawyer). We will prove "that it is possible", adj. applications (at least 20) to recognize the tree as a monument (despite ownership problems, a frequent reason for official refusals). Description of activities in the Tree Guardians'' journal.
3. Website (helped by 8 activists) "Ancient Trees" - a virtual "tourist attraction" providing greenery "to visit", teaching aid, map of impressive trees (10 subpages regarding each project tree (natural and dendrological description, diagnostics) , "micro-stories" from residents, multimedia: photos from the 4 seasons, "bird''s eye view" videos) There are signs in the area with a description and a QR code directing to subpages.
Despite difficulties related to distracting events, we achieved all the project assumptions. It probably could have been done better, but we are still satisfied. Although the project was based on activities that are our passion, it turned out that the design regime took away a lot of the joy from doing them. The need to meet deadlines (despite external difficulties) and prove things that seem obvious in normal life and to ordinary people is not conducive to spontaneous actions. This is not always motivating for the future.
Jasionka is an area under special supervision, covered by zones EPR148, EPR250 and RZ RPA09. Initially, drone flights were not possible. later, the Civil Aviation Authority made it possible in a limited way. We had police checks. This meant that we could not stretch our limits in any way (fine up to PLN 20,000) and we lost many opportunities to take photos and film (e.g. snow on the trees).
We hired a "Tree Guardian" to conduct guarding and security activities and organize a group that "can do something" (Guardian''s Diaries), we stuck sticks into anthills of 4 wasps in Rzeszów. We held meetings with their inhabitants: they didn''t fight, and that''s good! We have selected a group of future "Tree Guardians" who will support us, we trained 8 people at workshops and about 20 on a training trip to the arboretum in Bolestraszyce. We have created the website www.pomnikowedrzewa.rzeszow.pl., which is the beginning of the Trail of Monumental Trees in Rzeszów (10 trees, and there are about 70 natural monuments in Rzeszów), marked in the field. It includes numerous natural and historical information, aerial photos and videos, and virtual panoramas of the area around each tree. Maybe it will be useful for Rzeszów teachers, guides, tree lovers... But the website is also a "Zone for a very green activist" - a practical guide and a collection of sample letters, a query about tree cutting in Rzeszów in 2022, thanks to which we know how many trees we have lost again and a description of our achievements.
The increased recognition of the Foundation will make our work easier in the future. We have already gained more supporters and collaborators and we hope for even more. Throughout the project, we cooperated more and more with the Municipal Office of Rzeszów (Department of Climate and Environment, Greenery Board), thanks to our participation in two committees. This will result in a better understanding of our demands and, therefore, better protection of the forest stand in Rzeszów. We are increasingly often invited to resolve disputes. The website www.pomnikowedrzewa.rzeszow.pl will stay with us permanently and we hope it will develop, presenting more and more beautiful trees from Rzeszów. Already during the project, we managed to collect documentation of additional trees, which we have not yet had time to prepare and publish.
We submitted a proposal to the Municipal Office to help us develop this idea. Either way, it is our passion and we will definitely develop it.