Simona Gabriela Kossak () was a Polish

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

ecologist Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...

, and professor of forest sciences. Kossak is known for her efforts to preserve the remnants of natural

ecosystems An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. Her work dealt with, among other things, the

behavioral ecology Behavioral ecology, also spelled behavioural ecology, is the study of the evolutionary basis for ethology, animal behavior due to ecology, ecological pressures. Behavioral ecology emerged from ethology after Niko Tinbergen outlined Tinbergen's f ...

mammals A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three middle e ...

. She sometimes referred to herself as a "zoo-psychologist."

Early life

Kossak was born in

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, when the city was occupied by German forces.

Career

She achieved a BSc and MSc in Biology in 1976. In 1980, the Scientific Council of the Forest Research Institute awarded Kossak with a doctoral degree in Forest Sciences on the basis of her doctoral dissertation ''Research on the trophic situation of roe deer in the habitat of fresh mixed coniferous forest in the Białowieża Primeval Forest'' and, in 1991, with a postdoctoral degree in Forest Sciences on the basis of her postdoctoral dissertation ''Environmental and intraspecific determinants of the feeding behavior of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) in the forest environment''. In 1997, she received the academic title of Professor of Forest Sciences. Kossak worked at the Mammal Research Institute of the

Polish Academy of Sciences The Polish Academy of Sciences (, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society of distinguished scholars a ...

Białowieża Białowieża is a village in Poland's Podlaskie Voivodeship, in the middle of the Białowieża Forest, to which it gave its name. The village is some east of Hajnówka and southeast of the province capital, Białystok. Location Białowieża i ...

and at the Forest Research Institute at the Department of Natural Forests, where she was the director from January 2003 until her death in 2007. She was also one of the originators of the UOZ-1 repeller, a device that warns wild animals of passing trains. In October 2000, Kossak was awarded the

Golden Cross of Merit Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...

. Kossak was known for her uncompromising views about and actions for the protection of nature, especially in the Białowieża Forest, where she lived in the old forester's lodge "Dziedzinka" for over 30 years.

Personal life

Kossak came from a well-known artistic family. She was the daughter of

Jerzy Kossak Jerzy Maciej Kossak (Kraków, 11 September 1886 – 11 May 1955, Kraków) was a Polish realist painter specializing in military scenes. He was the son of painter Wojciech Kossak and grandson of painter Juliusz Kossak, a third-generation artist fr ...

, sister of Gloria Kossak, granddaughter of

Wojciech Kossak Wojciech Horacy Kossak (31 December 1856 – 29 July 1942) was a Polish Painting, painter and member of the celebrated Kossak family of artists and writers. He was the son of painter Juliusz Kossak, and twin brother of freedom fighter Tadeusz Ko ...

, and great-granddaughter of

Juliusz Kossak Juliusz Fortunat Kossak (15 December 1824 – 3 February 1899) was a Polish historical painter and master illustrator who specialized in battle scenes, military portraits and horses. He was the progenitor of an artistic family that spanned fou ...

, and niece of

Magdalena Samozwaniec Magdalena Samozwaniec née Kossak (26 July 1894, Kraków – 20 October 1972, Warsaw) was a Polish writer. The Kossak family is known for many artists including her father Wojciech Kossak, her brother Jerzy Jerzy is the Polish version of the m ...

and

Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska, ''née'' Kossak (24 November 1891 – 9 July 1945), was a Polish poet. She was known as the "Polish Sappho" and "queen of lyrical poetry" during Poland's interwar period.

. Lech Wilczek, a naturalist, photographer, and writer, was Kossak's lifelong partner.

Legacy

In 2024, Kossak's life was the subject of a

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curric ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed and written by Adrian Panek. The film stars

Sandra Drzymalska Sandra Drzymalska (; born 24 July 1993) is a Polish actress. Career She was awarded a master's degree in dramatic acting from the AST National Academy of Theatre Arts in Kraków in 2017. She played a minor role in the 2019 drama film '' Sole' ...

as the main protagonist and premiered at the 24th New Horizons International Film Festival in July 2024.

Publications

Books

*
The Białowieza Forest Saga
' *
The National Park in the Białowieza Forest
'

Articles

* Borowski, S., & Kossak, S. (1972). Bisoniana LI. The natural food preferences of the European bison in seasons free of snow cover. ''Acta theriologica'', 17(13), 151-169. * Borowski, S., & Kossak, S. (1975). The food habits of deer in the Białowieża Primeval Forest. ''Acta Theriologica'', 20(32), 463-506. * Kossak, S. (1976). The complex character of the food preferences of Cervidae and phytocenosis structure. ''Acta theriologica'', 21(27), 359-373. * Kossak, S. (1983). Trophic relations of roe deer in a fresh deciduous forest. ''Acta theriologica'', 28(6), 83-127. * Kossak, S. (1989). Multiple hunting by lynx and red fox and utilization of prey by some carnivores. ''Acta Theriologica'', 34(36), 505-512. * Kossak, S. (1992). Foraging habits and behaviour of moose calves in virgin forest. ''Acta Theriologica'', 37, 51-51.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kossak, Simona 1943 births 2007 deaths Women biologists Polish biologists 20th-century Polish women scientists 20th-century Polish scientists 20th-century Polish biologists 21st-century Polish women scientists 21st-century Polish scientists 21st-century Polish biologists Scientists from Kraków Polish ecologists