Wrocław establishes first nature reserve within city limits, protecting 13-hectare Las Pilczycki forest at Odra confluence

A first for Wrocław

On 15 June 2026, Poland's Minister of Climate and Environment Paulina Hennig-Kloska officially established the "Las Pilczycki im. prof. Dariusza Tarnawskiego" reserve, the first such protected area within Wrocław's administrative boundaries. The site covers 13.21 hectares of riparian forest at the mouth of the Ślęza River as it joins the Odra. The minister stressed the rarity of urban nature reserves, calling them "the lungs of cities".

“Such objects within cities are already quite a rarity, but constituting such a rich area, we must try to preserve them for future generations, because we already have documented how much biodiversity loss we are dealing with.”

This is the 180th reserve created in her current term, raising the total in Lower Silesia to 76.

Rich biodiversity

The forest is a well-preserved oak-elm-ash riparian habitat, among Poland's most valuable ecosystems. Its high degree of naturalness is reflected in abundant standing and fallen deadwood, which provides microhabitats for insects, fungi and birds. The reserve hosts rare and protected species: multiple bat species, black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), middle spotted woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius), green woodpecker (Picus viridis), Eurasian otter and European beaver. Foresters from the Miękinia Forest District note the presence of hermit beetle (Osmoderma eremita), great capricorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo), flower chafer Protaetia speciosissima and the extremely rare Endomychidae beetle Leiestes seminiger, a primeval forest relict tied to moist decaying wood.

Commemorating a scientist

The reserve is named for Professor Dariusz Tarnawski (1953-2021), a renowned entomologist, taxonomist and environmental biologist at the University of Wrocław. He was a world-leading expert on click beetles (Elateridae), describing over 300 new species, and his research underpinned the designation of Natura 2000 sites and other protected areas across Lower Silesia. A commemorative plaque was unveiled during the ceremony.

Rules and future research

Hennig-Kloska said she wants the forest to remain an oasis of natural processes, subject to continuous scientific study.

“I want this forest to continue as an oasis of natural processes, and its area to be the subject of further expert studies and analyses by scientists who will track these processes.”

Strict rules apply: no camping, fires, mushroom or undergrowth picking, dogs are prohibited, and visitors must keep to marked trails. The reserve's eastern edge borders a road corridor under the A8 motorway viaduct, a design that allows wildlife to pass.

Urban rarity

Urban reserves are uncommon, and the minister noted they face constant pressure from development and infrastructure.

“Personally, urban reserves please me in a special way. They are naturally rarer, because cities are more built-up, under more pressure from local governments and investors.”

She added that beyond recreation, such areas serve as hubs for ecological education and biodiversity preservation.