Invasive Species traces the spread of non-native plants appearing in the Białowieża Primeval Forest along the recently constructed border fence, including within the Strict Reserve of Białowieża National Park on the Polish–Belarusian border. Carried by wind or unintentionally transported on shoes and vehicles, the seeds take root in the primeval earth. Their presence signals a subtle yet significant ecological shift, raising questions about Europe’s oldest temperate forest, and whether these changes pose a threat or simply extend the forest’s ongoing evolution.
The invasive plant species are a direct consequence of the military presence in the Białowieża Primeval Forest resulting from the migration crisis. Emerging along the constructed border fence — a 180 km long and 5 m high barrier — they mark the impact of a structure that cuts through the forest and its protected areas, causing habitat fragmentation and disrupting migration routes for larger mammals.
Invasive Species was created thanks to consultations with Dr. Katarzyna Nowak from the Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, and Dr. Wojciech Adamowski from the Białowieża Geobotanical Station, University of Warsaw. The series is a part of my ongoing research project ‘Whispers of the Primeval Forest’ developed within Art & Ecology research group.
