Greenvolt Power joins Re:Generacja initiative – A program for
the restoration of biodiversity in Poland
About Re:Generacja
Greenvolt Power has joined Re:Generacja, a long-term biodiversity program dedicated to ecological restoration in Poland that brings together a wide network of partners committed to protecting and regenerating Poland’s natural ecosystems.
The initiative actively collaborates with representatives from nature conservation services — including national parks, landscape parks, Regional Directorates for Environmental Protection — as well as local governments and non-governmental organizations. Their expertise helps identify ecosystems across Poland that are in urgent need of restoration.
However, the true key to success lies in the involvement of the business community. Re:Generacja encourages companies to take responsibility for the environmental pressures they create and to become active participants in ecological restoration.
As part of this collaboration, Greenvolt Power has assumed stewardship over 30 hectares of degraded peatland in the Ruszczany bird sanctuary, located within the Natura 2000 Special Protection Area PLB200001 “Bagienna Dolina Narwi”, in the buffer zone of Narew National Park, between the villages of Rzędziany and Żółtki (Choroszcz Municipality, Podlaskie Voivodeship).
The protected area lies just 14 km from Greenvolt Power’s battery energy storage facility under development in Turośń Kościelna, highlighting the local and strategic alignment of this conservation effort.
Why is the Ruszczany site so important?
The Ruszczany wetland complex is one of the most valuable breeding sites for wetland birds in northeastern Poland. Historically dominated by sedge and reed fen habitats, wet meadows, and riparian vegetation, the area has undergone significant ecological change in recent decades due to the abandonment of traditional, low-intensity agricultural practices. This led to natural succession, shrub encroachment, and the gradual degradation of key habitats for many bird species.
Despite these changes, the area retains an exceptional biodiversity value:
- Nearly 150 bird species have been recorded at the site,
- Including 102 confirmed breeding species,
- And 18 species listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive, indicating their conservation concern at the European level.
Among the priority species are the Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), Common Redshank (Tringa totanus), and Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) – all dependent on open, wetland-rich habitats.
The area where this biodiversity program will be implemented contains restored oxbow lakes and wetland depressions, maintained in part thanks to hydrological restoration measures initiated by the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (PTOP) since 1993. PTOP, with decades of experience in riverine and peatland restoration, will lead the ecological implementation of this project.
Restoration plan (2025–2027)
Greenvolt Power will finance a multi-year, science-based restoration process as part of this biodiversity program, aiming to restore the ecological functionality and conservation value of this peatland complex.
2025
Phase I: initiating restoration
- Mowing and shrub removal on 15 hectares to re-open encroached wetland areas,
- Preparation of the landscape for further management.
2026
Phase II: habitat expansion and infrastructure
- Vegetation management across the remaining 15 hectares, using mosaic mowing and selective cutting while preserving some shrub patches for structural diversity,
- Preparation for grazing infrastructure: fencing layout and installation of watering points.
2027
Phase III: introduction of conservation grazing
- Construction of grazing enclosures and the introduction of Polish Konik horses (Equus ferus caballus), a native and resilient breed well-suited for conservation purposes,
- Long-term maintenance of habitat heterogeneity through extensive, low-impact grazing, which mimics historical land use and supports target bird species.
Project status: In progress
Ecosystem type: lowland peatland, semi-natural wet meadows, reedbeds
Location: Ruszczany bird sanctuary, Choroszcz Municipality, Podlaskie Voivodeship
Restoration lead: Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (PTOP)
Funded by: Greenvolt Power
Our project is also featured on the official Ecosystem Map of the Re:Generacja programme.
