People fight for vanishing national park forests

The My Sme Les (We Are the Forest) initiative was signed by more than 25,000 people

Massive logging in Slovakia, illustrative stock photoMassive logging in Slovakia, illustrative stock photo (Source: TASR)

The mountain ranges Čergov, Poloniny, and Muránska Planina plane of the Low Tatras are just some of the forests where mass amounts of wood are logged. In the Low Tatras National Park, more than 70 square kilometres of woods have disappeared since 2004, the Sme daily wrote.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

A group of environmental activists and protectionists, led by filmmakers Erik Baláž and Karol Kaliský, launched the internet initiative My Sme Les (We Are the Forest) on November 14. It was signed by more than 25,000 people in two days, and the number is still rapidly growing.

SkryťTurn off ads

“I perceive it as a great success, as the main channel it is spread by is Facebook,” Baláž said, as quoted by Sme. “It depends on the communication between people, but it spread as an avalanche.”

The effort has been supported by several famous personalities, e.g. Ľudmila Kolesárová of Dobrý Anjel (Good Angel) initiative, host and presenter Marcel Forgáč or tennis player Dominika Cibulková.

“It will be partial success for us, if we get over 50,000,” Baláž added, as quoted by Sme. “I perceive it as a good means for a change, as a signal of public understanding.”

Baláž explains he does not want to make it a political agenda; rather his goal is to create a community that cares about forests.

Top stories

Slovakia marks 20 years since joining NATO.

Slovakia marks 20 years in the Alliance.


Daniel Hoťka and 1 more
Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


SkryťClose ad