MAREK PIĄTKOWSKI
BARTŁOMIEJ OLESZKO
Over the years, he has conducted field research in natural environments, including in hard-to-access caves in the Tatra Mountains. His work focuses on abiotic components of the environment, particularly hydrological and geomorphological processes, with an emphasis on human impact. A speleologist and scouting instructor.
MAŁGORZATA PICHURA
SŁAWOMIR SPRINGER
He finds joy in observing the growth of trees he has planted—or that no one (among humans) has planted. He cuts hay for his horse and goats using traditional methods. His goats are just as fond of trees and shrubs.
KAMILA NEMINARZ
For many years, she has led culinary workshops and promoted healthy cuisine, drawing on the richness of local grains, vegetables, seeds, flowers, and herbs. She is responsible for the green catering at poTRAVA.pl – quite literally from the kitchen.
She loves spending time close to nature—forests, meadows, and mountains are where she finds inner peace. She is a co-founder of a forest kindergarten and the forest school “Swoją Drogą.” By training, she is a naturopath, a practitioner of Chinese dietary therapy, and an acupuncturist. She also completed postgraduate studies at Jagiellonian University in “Natural Resources in Prevention and Therapy.”
DOMINIKA ASMAN-WIERZBICKA
A lover of crafts and aesthetics, she enjoys giving objects a new life. Passionate about sustainable cities and a strong advocate of eco-mobility, she commutes to work by bike.
She holds a degree in Philosophy from the University of Silesia and completed postgraduate studies at the University of Economics in Katowice. She takes care of the Foundation’s “ecosystem,” managing administrative and office matters as well as website content—while also looking after the office’s flora and fauna.
Scientific Council
PROF. ZBIGNIEW MICHAŁ KARACZUN
He specializes in environmental and climate policy as well as environmental governance. Author of over 350 publications, he has been active in the Polish environmental movement since the 1980s, serving as President of the Polish Ecological Club (Mazovian District) and a member of its national board. He is a co-founder of the Climate Action Network Central and Eastern Europe and the Climate Coalition.
He created the e-platform “Climate-Friendly Agriculture” and has served as an advisor on European integration at the Ministry of the Environment, as well as a participant in accession negotiations. Since 2008, he has cooperated with the European Commission on monitoring projects implemented under the LIFE programme. He has also worked as an expert with FAO, USAID, and the World Bank.
Prof. dr hab. Piotr Skubała
Professor of biological sciences at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia; ecologist and acarologist (specializing in the ecology and systematics of Oribatida mites). An environmental ethicist, educator, nature conservation advocate, and climate activist.
A member of the Team Europe Direct expert network (European Commission), and an ethics expert at the European Commission in Brussels. He also serves on the Ethics Expert Panel at the National Science Centre. A regular contributor to the monthly magazines “AURA. Environmental Protection” and “Wild Life” and co-organizer and co-host of the Ecological Thought Club (since 2012).
Author of numerous lectures, workshops, and courses in Poland and abroad. He collaborates with local, national, and international media as an expert in ecology, environmental protection, and the climate crisis. He emphasizes that humans are one of millions of species inhabiting Earth, not its crown, and takes pride in being named “the greatest humanist among natural scientists” by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Research on Humanities Education at the University of Silesia.
DR MACIEJ GUSTAB
An enthusiast of wandering through bushes and dense thickets, and a passionate advocate of useful plants. He is interested in everything related to how humans use plants—from herbalism and spices to crops, and even which wood is best for carving a bow.
A graduate of biology at the Jagiellonian University, where he specialized in plant biology. He completed his doctoral training at the Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology (Jagiellonian University). His research focused on plant interactions with microorganisms and the use of fungi and bacteria in sustainable agriculture.
In his free time, he gathers and processes herbs, mushrooms, roots, and other gifts of meadows and forests.
Volunteers
JACEK PIĄTKOWSKI
JAKUB ROBERT KLIMAS
VOLUNTEER
Jakub, a geographer by education and historian by passion, is also an expert in air transport—yet he’s not afraid of traveling by old, well-worn trains. He loves trees and forests, but holds a special affection for one in particular: the oak, the Slavic King of the Forest. It is the oak he would most gladly embrace, finding in that gesture both strength for action and peace of mind.
Despite his relatively short time with the Foundation, Jakub has already brought a great deal of positive energy and enthusiasm to the team. His unconventional approach to life—including work—makes even seemingly mundane tasks feel like exciting challenges he eagerly takes on. His optimism and sense of humor make working with him both enjoyable and uplifting. He can even bring a smile to the most serious faces in the Foundation 😉 If you spot Jakub hugging an oak tree, don’t hesitate—join him, recharge your energy, and soak up the positive vibes!
Take action with the Foundation — become a volunteer!
If you care about protecting the natural environment and promoting sustainable development, and you have ideas you’d like to bring to life, we’d love to work with you.