Sitara Thalia Ambrosio

Photojournalist and Visual Storyteller.

NZZ am Sonntag: Why Nature also suffers from the War

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Location: Hanover

Nationality: german

Biography: Sitara Thalia Ambrosio is a german Photojournalist and Visual Storyteller. She contributing to various online and print media on an international scale. Her journalistic focus revolves around gender-related issues, migration, and human... MORE

Focus: Photojournalist, Journalist, Politics, Environment, Documentary, Multimedia, News, Photography, Foreign, International News, Freelance, Humanitarian, Life, Impact, Assignments, Human Rights, Multimedia Journalist, Magazine, Editorial, Publications, Newspapers, Storyteller, Climate, News Reporter, Visual Editor, Political Journalism, Digital Journalism, Print Journalism, War, Environmental Stories, International Stories, Digital Media, Portrait Photography, Social Justice, Reportage, Visual Journalist, Visual Storyteller

Tree roots in the Carpathian Bi...r the Ukrainian town of Rakhiv.

Tree roots in the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, near the Ukrainian town of Rakhiv.

The administrative center of th...an Biosphere Reserve in Rakhiv.

The administrative center of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve in Rakhiv.

Fedir Hamor (left) is the direc...e discussed together.

Fedir Hamor (left) is the director of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve. Vasyl Pokynzhereda (right) also works in the reserve. In the director's office, booklets about the reserve are discussed together.

The Museum of Mining Ecology on...an Biosphere Reserve in Rakhiv.

The Museum of Mining Ecology on the grounds of the administrative headquarters of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve in Rakhiv.

Woods, that are part of the Car...r the Ukrainian city of Rakhiv.

Woods, that are part of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve near the Ukrainian city of Rakhiv.

The National Forestry and Wood ...western Ukrainian city of Lviv.

The National Forestry and Wood Technology University of Ukraine in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.

Portrait of Prof. Vasyl Lavnyy,...y University in Lviv.

Portrait of Prof. Vasyl Lavnyy, Head of the Department of Silviculture at the National Forestry University in Lviv.

One of the small villages aroun...eaver Mykola Kokish lives here.

One of the small villages around the town of Rakhiv, which is located near the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve. The weaver Mykola Kokish lives here.

Weaver Mykola Kokish at his wooden loom in his home.

Mykola Kokish opens his large w...t he and his family have woven.

Mykola Kokish opens his large wooden cupboards in his living room to show the blankets and clothes that he and his family have woven.

A picture of Mykola Kokish&...e Kokish family home.

A picture of Mykola Kokish's family lies on a blanket he has woven. For as long as Kokish can remember, both grandmothers and great-grandmothers have woven on a wooden loom in the Kokish family home.

The collection of butterflies a...sted in the Red Book.

The collection of butterflies and beetles of the Roztochia region in the "Museum of Nature" in the Roztochia nature reserve is of great value. It was compiled by the entomologist R. Filyk. The collection includes more than 250 species, 15 of which are listed in the Red Book.

Portrait of Dr. Halina Strjamez...t; Biosphere Reserve.

Portrait of Dr. Halina Strjamez, Deputy Director of the "Roztochia" Nature Park and main representative of the "Roztochia" Biosphere Reserve.

The "Museum of Nature&...sted in the Red Book.

The "Museum of Nature" in the Roztochia nature reserve is the only of its kind on the territory of Roztochia. The museum's exhibition systematically displays the flora and fauna of the region. There are collections of invertebrates, vertebrates, unique plants and animals and rare species listed in the Red Book.

Wooden huts in the "Roztochia" nature reserve.

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Thumbnail of Tree roots in the Carpathian Bio_ar the Ukrainian town of Rakhiv.

Thumbnail of The administrative center of the_ian Biosphere Reserve in Rakhiv.

Thumbnail of Fedir Hamor (left) is the direct_re discussed together.

Thumbnail of The Museum of Mining Ecology on _ian Biosphere Reserve in Rakhiv.

Thumbnail of Woods, that are part of the Carp_ar the Ukrainian city of Rakhiv.

Thumbnail of The National Forestry and Wood T_ western Ukrainian city of Lviv.

Thumbnail of Portrait of Prof. Vasyl Lavnyy, _ry University in Lviv.

Thumbnail of One of the small villages around_weaver Mykola Kokish lives here.

Thumbnail of Weaver Mykola Kokish at his wooden loom in his home.

Thumbnail of Mykola Kokish opens his large wo_at he and his family have woven.

Thumbnail of A picture of Mykola Kokish&#_he Kokish family home.

Thumbnail of The collection of butterflies an_isted in the Red Book.

Thumbnail of Portrait of Dr. Halina Strjamez,_ot; Biosphere Reserve.

Thumbnail of The "Museum of Nature&a_isted in the Red Book.

Thumbnail of Wooden huts in the "Roztochia" nature reserve.

Public Story

NZZ am Sonntag: Why Nature also suffers from the War

Copyright Sitara Thalia Ambrosio 2024

Updated Oct 2022

Topics Media

NZZ am Sonntag: Why nature also suffers from the war
Written by the wonderful Andrea Jeska
→ The story

South of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv in the Carpathian Mountains, all seems well. The war is an event in another world. In the Transcarpathian region, on the border with Romania, lies Rakhiv, a sleepy little town with 15,000 inhabitants. A unique belt of copper beeches stretches from Rakhiv to the west for 200 kilometers. The world's oldest beech trees can be found there: up to 35 meters high and up to 600 years old. These forests have never been cultivated, no human foot has trampled the vegetation. These are some of the last primeval beech forests in Europe, a Unesco-recognized World Heritage Site. They are still intact. But the war is endangering their existence.

In total, the fires caused by attacks in July 2022 have already destroyed 100,000 hectares of nature. This is according to satellite data from the European Forest Fire Information System. Even before the war, there had already been a loss of biodiversity in Ukraine, according to the WWF, and climate change had taken its toll on nature. The war is exacerbating an already tense situation and is also preventing improvements, as all relevant activities and investments have virtually ceased.

Even though there is still peace in Transcarpathia, there have also been problems with forest protection there since the war began. This is because the rangers and foresters are at the front or have joined the self-defense groups, and now the daily guard rounds are missing..