Bieniszew

Bieniszew is a forest nature reserve of about 144 hectares in Kazimierz Biskupi commune, Konin County, roughly 9 km north-west of Konin. It was set up in 1996 under strict protection and preserves oak woodland and poor oak-hornbeam forest in the most varied terrain of the Puszcza Bieniszewska^[1].

The sources for this reserve describe its forests, not its animals. The surrounding Bieniszew forest has wetland birds in the neighbouring Mielno reserve, a silting lake with reed beds protected for them^[2].

Sessile oak dominates, with some Scots pine and a hazel understory, plus occasional beech and juniper. The reserve protects fragments of light oak woodland and wet oak woodland, with poor oak-hornbeam forest, a few small forest lakes and alder riparian forest near Lake Wściekłe. Protected plants include martagon lily, European wild ginger, lily of the valley, guelder rose and alder buckthorn^[1].

The reserve lies in the Gniezno Lakeland, a landscape of lakes and uneven ground. It has the most varied relief in the Bieniszew forest, with small forest lakes between rises^[1].

The Greater Poland lowlands have a temperate climate with cold winters and warm summers, and are among the drier parts of Poland. The reserve is drying out, so its alder riparian forest is slowly turning into oak-hornbeam forest^[1].

The Bieniszew forest has a Carthusian past: a hermitage of 1663 is a nearby attraction, and a Carthusian monastery on Sowia Góra, built in the 17th century, marks the end of the educational trail^[2].

Bieniszew was established in 1996 by a ministerial order of 14 June 1996. The founding act gave its area as 144.40 hectares^[1]. It is one of four reserves within the roughly 954-hectare Bieniszew forest, with Mielno, Pustelnik and Sokółki.

A 6 km nature trail for walkers and cyclists with 14 educational stops passes through the forest and its four reserves, ending by the Carthusian monastery on Sowia Góra. It starts near a historic well and the remains of a chapel of St Barnabas^[2].

The trail starts about 8 km from Konin and ends at a parking area by the monastery; using it and joining educational activities is free. Information comes from the Konin Forest District at ul. Gajowa 2 in Konin^[2].

The reserve is under strict protection, and the whole forest complex is part of the Natura 2000 network^[2]. Drying of the terrain is a pressure on its alder riparian forest, and its oak stands are in a degraded state^[1].