AUTHOR: Robert Kocewicz, VestaEco
At the Wszechnica Biebrzańska educational event held on February 21-22, 2026, PaluWise partners, Centrum Ochrony Mokradel (CMok), Instytut Technologiczno-Przyrodniczy-Panstwowy Instytut Badwczy (ITP) and Szkola Glowna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego (SGGW), joined forces with the Biebrza National Park to share the future of paludiculture in Poland. The event concluded with a field visit to the PaluWise’s Kuwasy demo site.
About Wszechnica Biebrzańska event
Wszechnica Biebrzańska is a regular, open educational event organized by the Biebrza National Park – a primary stakeholder and vital partner for the PaluWise Polish demonstration site. This forum serves as a bridge between scientific research and the local community, allowing for direct dialogue with park employees, tourist guides, forestry representatives, local communities, and environmental NGOs.
During the event, PaluWise partners were invited to present our vision for sustainable peatland use to about 70 participants, ensuring that the project’s objectives are well-integrated into local conservation and community efforts.
Key PaluWise takeways at the event
On the first day, PaluWise partners prepared presentations packed with insights (and we mean this in a most positive way) into the technical and social aspects of the project:
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Paludiculture products: Aleksandra Leszczyńska (CMok) delivered two presentations focused on the project overview and the diverse range of commercial products—such as insulation materials and biomass—that can be derived from wetland crops.
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The Polish demo site: Weronika Warowna and Bartosz Kierasiński (ITP) unveiled the detailed plans for the Kuwasy pilot site in Biebrza, explaining how the infrastructure will support wet farming research.
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Water challenges & tools: Mateusz Grygoruk and Marta Stachowicz (SGGW) discussed the critical water challenges facing the Biebrza Valley and introduced the Servipeat tool, a digital solution designed to assist in peatland management.
How does the Kuwasy demo-site visit bring paludiculture to life?
On the second day, the theory was put into practice with a field visit to the Kuwasy demo site in Poland. Guided by our ITP teammates, a group of 15 participants walked the site to see firsthand the rewetting progress and the potential for large-scale paludiculture. We hope that seeing the “wetland in action” helped local guides and community members visualise how these landscapes can remain productive while simultaneously protecting the environment, retaining water, and storing carbon. The Polish site visit was a great adventure for all visitors and a practical demonstration of how PaluWise translates lab research into real-world land management solutions.
What is the future of paludiculture in Biebrza?
The event concluded with a strong signal of support for the project. Artur Wiatr, the Director of Biebrza National Park, expressed an interest in organising a paludiculture products exhibition at the Park’s facilities.
An exhibition of this kind would allow thousands of annual visitors to the park to touch and feel materials made from sedges and typha, further bridging the gap between innovative research and public awareness. As we move forward, this collaboration with the National Park and our activity at the Kuwasy serves as a proof of our efforts to make wet farming a standard practice in Poland. Go team!
P.S. Credits to the amazing photographers:
Piotr Tałaalaj (lecture session), Magdalena Marczakiewicz (demo-site visit) and our Aleksandra Leszczyńska
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