Wielkopolskie

23rd July 2010

"If there is evidence of illegal destruction of a dam, we will inform the authorities.” Share:

Environmentalists are raising the alarm after two dams made by beavers near a Poznan lake were deliberately demolished this week. Ecologists fear the vandalism is a result of the misguided accusations against beavers during the recent floods – where even government ministers appeared on television accusing the creatures of being at fault.

“Heavy machinery is being used in the areas where the beavers live. Last Saturday I saw that a digger had destroyed a beaver dam. This is against the law, because beavers, their dams and their lodges are protected,” an angry Jerzy Juszczynski of the Polish Ecological Club told reporters.

The dam was on the stream running alongside the cycle path between Rusalka and Strzeszynski Lakes, a few hundred metres from a public beach.

The meadows surrounding Streszynski are rented, and it appears the tennant is treating the land as his own. “He uses heavy machinery to cut the grass, destroying the topsoil, damaging shrubs and he uses cycle paths as roads for heavy vehicles. And all this on protected land that belongs to the city,” continued Juszczynski.

On Wednesday afternoon a group of workers with shovels set about destroying another dam. Anna Zielke-Zylinska of the REP commented, “We will check the area immediately. If there is evidence of illegal destruction of a dam, we will inform the authorities.”

Water palaver

Poznan’s water supplier Aquanet and the city authorities set up water curtains in central areas of the city this Thursday to cool off pedestrians in the baking temperatures. Many are asking why it has taken the authorities so long to act, and are pointing out that by Saturday, temperatures are expected to drop significantly, rendering the whole thing pointless.

Many other cities in Poland set up similar water curtains weeks ago, even neighbouring Swarzedz. Rafal Lopka for Poznan City Hall told Gazeta Poznan, “I don’t know why the water curtains are only going up now, but it’s better late than never.”

Free as a nightingale

A Poznan court this week decided to release convicted paedphile Wojciech K., the disgraced former conductor and director of the Poznan Slowiki (or Nightingales) choir. The judge changed the six years sentence into a suspended sentence, but made it conditional on continuing therapy with a sexologist. He also retains a six year ban on working with children or young people. Wojciech K. had requested early release on grounds of ill health on three previous occasions, but they were all turned down.