Winter wolf seminars in the Beskidy Mountains This winter Association for Nature "WOLF" are organising wolf seminars on the following dates: 9-13 January, 2006 20-24 February, 2006 6-10 March, 2006 The overall cost is 240. This includes accommodation; food (three meals per day); lectures, field trips and our assistance, Flights and transfers are not included. Participants will be shown how to identify different predator and ungulate tracks and how to recognise other evidence of wolf occurrence in the field, e.g. scats, scent marks, resting places and prey remains. You will also receive training in methods of data collection, use of field equipment and in various different research methods. Several lectures will be given to build knowledge of the biology, ecology, ethology and conservation problems of wolves in Poland. The area The seminars will take place in the Żywiecki Beskidy Mountains (part of the Carpathian range), in the Romanka Mountain range (altitude 600-1300m asl), which is located in southern Poland adjacent to the border with Slovakia. The landscape is diverse, with densely forested slopes interspersed with high altitude meadows, natural mountain streams and rocky caves. This habitat is refuge to many species of mammalian predator, ranging in size from bears, wolves and lynx, to weasels. The forest is also inhabited by red deer, roe deer and wild boar, which are important prey species for the large carnivores, and the area supports a wide variety of other flora and fauna, including many rare and protected species. Accommodation The group will stay in a pleasant private pension, located on a mountain meadow called Plone (near Wegierska Gorka village), in the Zywiecki Beskidy Mountains area, 200m from a wolf territory. The accommodation is cosy and warm; rooms have a very simple arrangement with 3-4 beds (with bedding), table, chairs and wardrobe, and a private bathroom. Some rooms have a shared bathroom in the nearest hall. There is a big dining room with a fireplace, TV and a well-equipped kitchen, for the use of guests only. Basic equipment You will need good boots, warm and waterproof clothes, gaiters (gamaschen - to protect your boots and trousers against deep snow), a small backpack, box for sandwiches, vacuum flask, and torch. You should also bring a towel (there are no towels available in rooms), home shoes for relaxing after returning from the forest. You do not need sleeping bags, bedding is provided. Weather conditions We can expect 50 or more centimetres of snow, but this is not guaranteed. The temperature can fall to minus 15-20 degrees Celcius, but can be much higher. So, be prepared for real winter. We will write you before your arrival what to expect weather-wise. For field trips there is the option to split into two groups, less and more advanced, so don t worry if you are not very experienced in winter conditions.
Travel details The destination is Żywiec (about 20 km South of Bielsko-Biała). You can come: by plane to Krakow and then to Żywiec by bus PKS (see below), by plane or train to Katowice (airport Pyrzowice), and then by train through Bielsko-Biała (next town) to Żywiec railway station (in a blue ring on the attached map). Two trains from Germany come to Katowice every day, from Hamburg and from Poczdam or you can come to Bielsko-Biala by long distance coach, and then to Żywiec by train. There is a regular bus connection from different German and English towns through Katowice to Bielsko-Biała. In Krakow both the railway station and the bus station are in the same location (in the centre of town), on opposite sites of the road, see the Internet for details, (key word "Krakow"). In Katowice, the railway station is in the centre of the city, there is a direct minibus connection from the airport Pyrzowice. The train connection from Katowice to Zywiec, or from Bielsko-Biała to Żywiec can be found on the PKP website: www.pkp.com.pl (remember in Polish we write Żywiec using a special letter Z with a dot above, so you must choose this letter in the web site, the second part of Bielsko-Biała name, we write with letter L crossed). Choose English version and then click on train timetable and then follow the instructions. Remember to choose Zywiec DA, not Zywiec Sporysz, and Bielsko-Biala Glowna The bus connection from Kraków to Bielsko-Biała or Żywieccan be found at: www.pks.krakow.pl.click on English flag, find Krakow in the first box, and then Bielsko-Biala in the destination box You will need about 40 minutes to reach Krakow or Katowice from the airports, 2.5 hours to get from Krakow to Żywiec by bus, or 2 hours to get from Katowice to Żywiec by train, and about half an hour to get to Żywiec from Bielsko-Biała by train. We will meet you at the railway or bus station in Żywiec and transfer you to the pension in Plone (in smaller red ring on the map), in the upper part of Zabnica village. In nearby Węgierska Górka village there is a cash machine and good shops, and the nearest railway station from which you can manage your departure, (or you can depart from Żywiec. Please check please all these possibilities, and send us details. When we know your arrival time to Krakow, Bielsko- Biała or to Katowice, we can send you the timetable of train or bus connection to Żywiec. Booking Contact: Dr Sabina Nowak The Association for Nature WOLF Twardorzeczka 229 34-324 Lipowa POLAND e-mail: sdnwilk@vp.pl tel/fax: +48 33 8176090 For more details on our projects, visit www.most.org.pl/wolf
Winter Wolf Seminar in the Western Beskidy Mountains (S. Poland) Draft Agenda (Note: the agenda will be tailored to weather and snow conditions, so details may change) Day 1 16.00-19.00 Arrival of participants to accommodation 20.00-20.30 Dinner 20.40-21.30 Organisational meeting and lecture: Wolf distribution and ecology in the Western Beskidy Mountains Day 2 9.00-10.00 time for preparation for field work (preparing sandwiches and tea/coffee, fitting of snow shoes, etc.) 10.00-16.30 Fieldwork in the territory of the Halny wolf pack: training in walking on snow shoes identification of predator and ungulate tracks in the field recognition of scent-marking places, resting places and other evidence of wolf or lynx occurrence in the field 17.00-17.30 Dinner 17.30-18.30 Break 18.30-19.15 Lecture: Wolf biology and behaviour 19.30-20.15 Lecture: Tracking of wolves - methods and evidences of wolf activity in the field 20.20 20.50 Lecture: Tracking of lynx recognising tracks and other signs 20.50 Supper, sitting near fireplace, exchange of experiences of participants connected with large carnivores Day 3 9.15-9.45 Break preparation for fieldwork 9.45-16.30 Fieldwork: wolf or lynx snow tracking, collection of scats and prey remains explanation and teaching different tracking methods 17.00-17.30 Dinner 17.30-18.30 Break 18.30-19.15 Lecture: Programme of long-term wolf conservation in the Beskidy Mts. -resolving wolf/human conflicts and wolf protection problems 19.40. 20.40 Night howling session 20.50-21.30 Supper Day 4 9.30-16.00 Trip to an adjacent wolf territory (Grapa pack): methods of data collection, use of different inventory methods use of field equipment in the mountain area: GPS, snow shoes, etc. 16.30-17.15 Dinner
17.15 18.00 Break 18.00 19.15 Lecture: Wolf distribution and ecology in Poland; problems of wolf protection; large mammal migration corridors through Poland to Western Europe, conflicts with road networks 19.30-20.00 How to co-operate for the long-term protection of wolves in Europe? -discussion 20.15 Social gathering (sitting around fireplace, eating, playing, singing, enjoying the atmosphere of the Beskidy Mountains) Day 5 8.30-9.00 Breakfast (can be earlier for those leaving earlier) Departure