Krzysztof Konieczny

Krzysztof Konieczny is generating public awareness and changing stereotypes about environmentalism, farmland, and mobilizing farmers and marginalized populations to take a leading role in conserving Poland’s habitat and wildlife.

Economic changes across the world result in consumption growth and dramatic degradation of the natural environment. Recognizing that most environment protection programs fail to embrace farmers or the poor, Krzysztof engages excluded communities (i.e. poverty-stricken farmers, prisoners, people with disabilities) in environmental initiatives, broadening the base of environmental activists in Poland while at the same time preserving their need to make a livelihood.  
By creating roles for the socially excluded as environmental leaders, Krzysztof helps them gain footing in society and reverse negative societal perceptions. As a leader of the Pro Natura Association, Krzysztof provides them with tools for starting new jobs and new lives. His approach has commanded significant attention from the media and public, helping to broaden societal support for environment protection. This in turn increases pressure on government and businesses to adopt greener policies, and build a strong support base for environmental protection initiatives.

As Poland’s population and economic growth exacerbates consumption rates, its natural resources and habitat are undergoing increased stress. The loss of biodiversity and degradation of the environment is a global issue, but Poland and other post-transition countries face the additional challenge that comes with the conflicting desires of continued economic success and environmental protection.

While environmental protection has its roots in farm life, few preservation activities focus on agriculture and the delicate relationship between farmers and land. Understanding this relationship is critical to sustain both human life and the Polish ecosystem. Currently, the environmental movement focuses on national parks that stand protected, ignoring the challenge of transforming the attitudes and consumption of ordinary citizens and their communities.

Prior efforts to promote conservation and biodiversity often have an elitist attitude: They tend to involve methods that are accessible only to the wealthiest citizens and are promoted only among the educated. These efforts commonly fail to engage marginalized groups such as farmers, prisoners, or the disabled, perceived as insignificant in global environmental efforts—and they remain passive recipients of the new regulations. There is a need for creative ways to attract national attention towards environmental protection as an effective tool for bettering the lives of marginalized populations, specifically as a source of income and a chance to start a new life.

At the age of sixteen, Krzysztof joined the Pro Natura Association, an organization that gathered young enthusiasts, mainly students, concerned with the degradation of the habitats of south-west Poland. Here, he launched his first rural projects, protecting against early-spring burning of the meadows and recovering the winery traditions in his home area. He brought successful methods from urban settings to educate rural people, including a series of workshops for farmers to promote renewable sources of energy and additional sources of income. He soon discovered this approach did not bode well in a rural, impoverished setting. Based on these experiences, Krzysztof created a demonstration site with Pro Natura Association, purchasing 200 hectares of land in the countryside to launch a project of renaturalization (bringing back the natural meadows and ecosystems). This has since become the model for preserving the natural environment while benefiting farming communities.

The Pro Natura Association pays farmers to cut down and collect non-native grasses. Farmers are provided with these grasses and hay for their animals which are pastured in the meadows. The silvers from the trees are sent to schools in the community and heated with a bio mass heating system that has been constructed by the Association. The project protects area wildlife, offers protection against flood, saves energy, promotes cooperation between farmers, and personal benefits to farmers and their families (animal feed and payment for cutting the grass). The project is led by the community and local municipality, with an interest in its management and success. The renaturalization of the meadows educates the impoverished areas and farmers on the model’s approach, which Krzysztof calls “the economy of nature.” It has become an internationally recognized model, attracting nearly one hundred visitors from over fourteen countries, including Japan and Argentina.

After his early successes with farmers, Krzysztof began to partner with other groups previously unengaged in environmental education efforts. Krzystof turned to an unusual community—the power business. He engaged electric companies to create stork nests on the electric poles, calling attention to the plight of the symbolic Polish stork. The project, “The Protection of White Stork and its Settlements” preserves wetlands and prevents monoculture in cultivation. Over 250 nests have been created in the rural areas of Poland. Krzysztof then focused on old abandoned churches in the settlement of a rare species of bat. Krzysztof worked with priests and custodians to develop a conservation program for the bats. These successful projects place the notion of nature protection in rather remote and unusual settings, but have attracted attention and been replicated by other organizations.

Krzysztof felt that his approach was incomplete, and sought a meeting with one of the largest prisons in the country. Fighting biases, Krzysztof applied the same approach to all his endeavors; building synergies and partnerships to engage the prisoners in the global movement for nature protection. He helped the prison’s farm to introduce sheep breeding as part of a rehabilitation program for prisoners. Krzysztof first worked with prisoners to cut the grass, but soon discovered synergies with his other projects and participants. Machines and tools purchased can be used by both the farmers and prisoners. Additionally, renting another 200 hectares of land would serve the farmers and also be used by the prisoners to breed the sheep. The program gives practical job training and skills to prisoners, which can be utilized after-prison, along with environmental training for farmers, and eventually large-scale training for prison servants. To date, more than 650 prisoners have been trained in sheep breeding and construction, gaining practical skills for “post-prison”. Almost 450 prison functionaries participated in pedagogy courses and over 130 farmers in “Farming with Nature” courses. Over fifty job training courses had been organized. Krzysztof admits that probably one of his most entrepreneurial actions was to become a guardian in the one of the most dangerous prisons in the country, but it was the only way to ensure initial implementation of the Black Sheep project. The program is recognized by national authorities of the Central Prisons’ Management in Poland and is being replicated in other prisons throughout the country. It has been widely promoted and publicized in the media, changing opinions about the imprisoned and their future prospects. With stereotypes and biasness being broken, outside communities and organizations are adapting similar projects. The program has also been featured in educational materials as an example of creative approaches towards the inclusion of marginalized populations in natural protection efforts.

With Krzysztof’s creativity and successful program implementation, the Pro Natura Association is blooming. Krzysztof is President of the management board and boasts a full-time staff of fifteen along with over 200 active participants. Over the last ten years more than 3,000 enthusiasts have supported the organization. A €2.5 million grant to spread the prisoners’ program will provide infrastructure for the launch of new endeavors. In future, Krzysztof will engage new groups in his endeavors and provide them with the skills to support their everyday lives. He is already partners with organizations that work with people with disabilities.

Krzysztof grew up in the countryside in the west of Poland. His father was an entrepreneur, bringing electricity to the village and organizing the water supply system. Thanks to an early interest in nature, Krzysztof spent most of his childhood in the green fields of the countryside. He enjoyed observing birds and all other living creatures. His first nature projects were during early childhood: At age ten he investigated what was cutting off the river to bring it back to its natural flow. At thirteen-years-old he decided to become a botanist but discovered there was more to life then observing flowers and birds—engaging others in the endeavors proved to be even more fun.

In high school, Krzysztof approached the Pro Natura Association to expand his knowledge of birds and bird watching. He became a Project Rescuer, where he provided insight and able hands towards the direct implementation of Association activities. In 1994 Krzysztof traveled to the White Sea in northern Russia. The trip was a breakthrough moment; he truly understood what the wild was about, and how vulnerable it was. Moved by his experience in Russia, he became more involved and dedicated to initiate the Pro Natura activities and conservation projects.

Krzysztof is recognized for his creativity and uncommon approach, often attracting media attention. For example, the first stork nest was equipped with a built-in camera to enable observation of the stork family. He also experimented with more conventional ways to change people’s attitudes towards natural conversation. With the Association for Bird Protection, he developed an educational program to use in schools. In his community, he created the first arable land to be entirely managed and owned by the local community. This proved to be an important step in educating his rural community about nature protection: Poverty-stricken farmers noticed something important in their surroundings—an unspoken law arose against pollution and waste disposal. Another showcase project in the community is the adaptation of 34’Anti-Fire’ ponds created by national law to be a place for protection of the various species, beautify the village, and maintain their primary role as anti-fire protection.

Recognized for his environmental efforts, Krzysztof is a consultant to the Ministry of Agriculture. His ideas and innovations are spreading internationally—most notably to Italy and Portugal, where he shares his experience of work with socially excluded populations and offers entrepreneurship trainings. He also shares his experiences by participating in international networks such as Work Inclusion for Socially Excluded and Servizi per l’Autonomia, il Lavoro e l’Inclusione Sociale (SALIS) in Italy. Krzysztof is an expert in creating synergies among various groups with diverse interests and bringing together unusual partners in his efforts for environmental protection.