Simona Kossak, Forest Queen

Subscriber-only episode

Once upon a time, a young woman escaped to a primeval forest, befriended the animals there (including a lynx, raven and wild boar) and met her handsome prince. Sounds like a fairy tale, but in this week’s episode Amy discusses the enchanting true story of Simona Kossak, a Polish scientist who wrote about her deep love for the Bialowieza Forest and worked tirelessly to protect it. Poland awarded Kossak the Golden Cross of Merit for her ecological efforts before her death in 2007, and several recent films celebrate her life and legacy.

Mentioned in this episode:

Simona Kossak

Dziedzinka Simona Kossak’s forest home

Bialowieza forest

Jane Goodall

Greta Thunberg

Simona 2022 documentary

Trailer for Simona 2024 feature film

Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska

Magdalena Samozwaniec

Lech Wilczek

Bialowieza Forest Saga

Disney’s Frozen

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 80 on Lesya Ukrainka’s “Forest Song”

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