What we have achieved

Vlčia

The Vlčia Private Nature Reserve has an area of ​​21.24 ha and is located in the Prešov Region in the Čergov Mountains, in the cadastre of the village of Olejníkov in the source area of ​​the Ľutinka River. Originally, the forest belonged to a private owner, from whom VLK purchased the forest. The amount needed to purchase the forest - 3.2 million crowns - was raised through a Kúp si svoj strom collection among citizens from 18 countries around the world. VLK has been the owner of the forest since 1998 and since then there has been no interference in this forest: no timber is cut there, no trees are planted, no dead trunks are pulled out and no hunting is done in the forest. The forest is located at the end of the Jarabinčík valley in the micro-basin of the Ľutinka river, the geological base is Paleogene flysch. In the lower parts of the forest, fir-beech forest prevails, on the sub-ridge slopes beech-sycamore forest and at the end beech-sycamore forest of limited growth. The dominant tree species are beech, mountain maple and fir, mixed with milk maple, elm, birch, rare Silesian willow and in the sub-ridge part there is also bird's rowan. The total number of trees with a diameter greater than 70 mm is exactly 11,548, according to the expert's measurement.

Over the years of our activities, we have saved hundreds of lives of innocent bears, wolves and other predators from the ranks of carnivores and birds, hunted due to a lack of awareness of the complex functioning of nature, due to ignoring the basic principles of coexistence with carnivores and, last but not least, for money.

We have implemented many positive legislative changes that allow for better control of forest management and prevent their devastation.

Fundamental changes:

• ban on clear-cutting
• ban on transporting wood through streams
• participation of non-governmental organizations in proceedings