NENCKI INSTITUTE RESEARCH STATION – MIKOŁAJKI
<< 2014
01/01/.2014 – after 53 years the Hydrobiological Station in Mikołajki RETURNED TO the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Polish Academy of Sciences.
14/06/2014 – meeting management of the Nencki Institute with representatives of scientific institutions interested in continuation of scientific cooperation on the Station in Mikolajki.
01/07/2014 – Wanda Szczepańska PhD died. With great regret we said goodbye to a person who together with her husband, Andrew created Hydrobiological Station in Mikolajki.
19/09/2014 – students of two high schools from Mikolajki and individual guests participated in the workshop “The mysterious world of aquatic creatures” organized at the Station as part of the FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE
04/10/2014 – BIOCEN – Educational Workshops for students of primary, middle and high schools took place on the Station
2015
06/06/2015 – a ceremony naming Andrew and Wanda Szczepański a main avenue of the station was held. The memorial plaque placed under the name of the avenue inform us: “Professor Andrzej Szczepanski and Dr Wanda Szczepańska – the organizers of the Hydrobiological Station of the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Polish Academy of Sciences in Mikolajki. They both came to Mikolajki in September 1951 and devoted his life to research of Mazurian lakes“
21-23/07/2015 – more than 100 people participated in the SUMMER BRAIN DAYS, organized by the Laboratory of Neuroplasticity of the Nencki Institute. The popular lectures were delivered by prof. Anna Członkowska, prof. Ewa J. Godzińska, Alexandra Kołodziej MSc, Monika Liguz-Lęcznar PhD and prof. Andrzej Wrobel. There were also workshops led by young scientist from the Necki Institute
01/09/2015 – Tomasz Janecki PhD was appointed at the NEW HEAD OF THE STATION – hydrobiologist, polar explorer, a longtime deputy head of the Department of Antarctic Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences and the Polish Antarctic ARCTOWSKI Station. The former manager – Assoc. Prof. Jolanta Ejsmont-Karabin remained on the position the senior scientist
31-13/09/2015 – MYRMECOLOGICAL Workshop was organized at the Station by the Laboratory of Ethology of the Nencki Institute, thanks to the grant to Paweł Mazurkiewicz from the Foundation for Polish Science, within the Skills project, co-financed by European funds
03/10/2015 – the second edition of the BIOCEN Educational Workshop was held at the Station for students of primary, lower secondary and high school. A total of 60 people took part
07-08/12/2015 – together with the Foundation for the Conservation of Great Masurian Lakes, we organized the LAKE PLANKTON WORKSHOP for young people (4 groups, 110 people)
20-21/12/2015 – during the CHRISTMAS EVE MEETING of Direction of the Nencki Institute with staff of the Station, prof. Adam Szewczyk gave thanks prof. Jolanta Ejsmont-Karabin for 18 years of managing of the Hydrobiological Station
2016
23/01/2016 – winter WORKSHOP FOR BIOLOGY TEACHERS of schools from our region (Pisz, Ryn, Ruciane, Mragowo, Mikolajki, Woznice)
27/02/2016 – in the new Conference Room there was the BIO-FILM 2016 – a review of wildlife films, awarded at the 16th International Film Festival of Wlodzimierz Puchalski, Łódź 2015
21/03/2016 – station employees took part in the 2nd NATURE PICNIC (at the STO School in Mikolajki) – with a lecture and microscopic workshops on the wildlife of our lakes
30/04/2016 – WILDLIFE TRAVEL: “Under the Skies of Africa” – the meeting with a famous traveler and blogger Piotr Horzela, who told us about his two-year work in South Sudan
07/05/2016 – educational PICNIC ON THE WATER – a natural educational event (lectures, shows, water samplings) organized jointly with the Mazurian Landscape Park
28/05/2016 – LIMNOLOGICAL WORKSHOP – lecture and field activities for high school students POL-GERM (STO high school in Mikolajki)
29/05/2016 – WHITE STORK DAY – Station employees took an active part in an educational picnic organized in Krutynia by the Mazurian Landscape Park
01/06/2016 – on the occasion of the Children’s Day, we organized on the Station an OUTDOOR LESSON and hydrobiological field activities for one of the classes from the primary school in Mikolajki
04/06/2016 – reporting session of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology of the Nencki Institute (prof. Leszek Kaczmarek)
20-21/06/2016 – reporting session of PhD students of Department of Cell Biology of the Nencki Institute (prof. Katarzyna Kwiatkowska)
21-22/07/2016 – next edition of HOLIDAY BRAIN DAYS, two-day educational workshops on neuroscience
19/08/2016 – WATER INSECT DAY – open educational event for local society and schools
26-28/08/2016 – The International ETHOLOGY WORKSHOP was organized at the Station by Laboratory of Ethology of the Nencki Institute headed by prof. E. J. Godzińska) entitled “Biological roots of prosociality and rescue behavior“
20-21/09/2016 – meeting of THE CONSORTIUM OF THE USERS of the Station with the Nencki Institute’s Directions was held, during which the prospects of further scientific cooperation based on the Hydrobiological Station in Mikolajki were discussed
22/09/2016 – a scientific symposium “Neuronal circuits of spatial memory” organized by the Nencki Institute was held at the Station
23/09/2016 – together with the Mazurian Landscape Park we organized the FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE 2016 at the Station. The frequency exceeded our expectations – about 250 people attended the event!
08/10/2016 – the third edition of the BIOCEN Education Workshop for primary and secondary school was held at the Station
20-22.10.2016 – cameral Workshop of the Neuroscience Laboratory of the Nencki Institute (under the supervision of prof. Daniel Wójcik)
23/11/2016 – we organized the next meeting for students of the The University Third Age in Mikolajki – the topic of the event was “The lakes ecology”
7-8 /12/2016 – the second edition of the Winter ENVIRONMENTAL WORKSHOP for high school students was organized at the Station together with the Foundation for the Protection of Great Masurian Lakes from Giżycko (4 groups, about 100 people in total)
2017
11/01/2017 – meeting with seniors from the University of the Third Age in Mikolajki took place at the Station, the topic of the lecture was “Antarctic Nature”
11/02/2017 – like every year, the WINTER WORKSHOP for biology teachers from our region was organized at the Station together with the staff of the Nencki Institute
18/03/2017 – movie show of wonderful underwater films “The Magic of the Big Blue” by Polish scuba diver and photographer Darek Sepioło
was organized in our Conference Room as a cinema hall.
21/03/2017 – 3th NATURE PICNIC was held in the Social School in Mikołajki, the Station employees took part in it together with the Mazurian Landscape Park with microscopic demonstrations “Aquatic invertebrates”
08/05/2017 – participation in the Nature Conservation Day at the Primary School in Woźnice (lesson)
13/05/2017 – together with the Masurian Landscape Park we organized at our Station (in the old Aquarium building) an open nature workshop entitled ECOLOGY OF SPRING
15/05/2017 – the Station was visited by members of the Society of Forest Friends in Olsztyn, for whom we prepared lectures on the history of the Station and the microscopic workshops “Zooplankton 3D”
27/07/2017 – educational event BRAIN ON VACATION (this is the third edition, continuation of holiday brain days), organized by the Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Hydrobiological Station in Mikołajki. The program includes, for example, the neuroanatomical exhibition “Look inside the brain”, showing the brain from outside and inside, games, tests and games for children and adults prepared by PhD students and employees of the Nencki Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences. We were visited by about 70 people for several hours
20/08/2017 – the meetings NATURE TRAVELS: Maciej Karpowicz PhD from the University of Białystok talked about expeditions to the coral reefs of the world and about the richness of these unique and fabulously colorful marine ecosystems. The lecture was accompanied by a demonstration of diving equipment
05/09/2017 – AN EVENING WITH INSECTS – an open educational meeting with a lecture by prof. Ewa J. Godzińska: “A hundred years of the Nencki Institute – discovering the secrets of the world of insects” and Tomasz Włodarczyk PhD, “Insects among us”. That evening also the photographic exhibitions by Maciej Nielubowicz “Microcosm of Ants 3” and by Zbigniew Salwin “In my lens” were opened
07/10/2017 – BIOCEN Educational Workshop for primary, middle and high school students. It was the fourth edition of this event organized every year in Mikołajki by the BioCentrum of National Education together with the Nencki Institute, the Hydrobiological Station of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Bioeducation Foundation.
24/10/ 2017 – classes for students of the UNIVERSITY OF THE THIRD AGE with lectute by prof. Jolanta Ejsmont-Karabin about the wonderful culture and nature of exotic Mexico. Participants could also see ritual masks and try polvorones – Mexican wedding cookies, prepared specially for the occasion by a speaker
17/11/ 2017 – FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE 2017, organized jointly with the Masurian Landscape Park. This year, we expanded the educational program with archaeological workshops conducted by archaeologists from the University of Warsaw associated in the “Terra Desolata” group
27/11/2017 – The Hydrobiological Station of the Nencki Institute in Mikołajki was among the finalists of the 2017 POPULARIZER OF SCIENCE contest. The winners will be announced during a gala that will take place in January 2018 at the Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw
2018
01/02/2018 – prof. AGNIESZKA DOBRZYŃ – became a new Director of the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Marcel Nencki PAS in Warsaw for a four-year term
31/01/2018 – NATURE TRAVELERS – a lecture on “Cherrapunji – an unknown piece of India“by prof. Jolanta Ejsmont-Karabin – classes for Seniors from the University of the Third Age in Mikołajki
03/03/2018 – the third edition of the WINTER WORKSHOP FOR BIOLOGY TEACHERS with the following lectures: “Neurons in the fight against time, or about how aging changes the nervous system” by Monika Liguz-Lęcznar PhD, “Arctic – geography and climate” – by Tomasz Janecki PhD and “Good science and evil science” and “Medicine, pseudomedicine and charlatans” – by Paweł Boguszewski PhD
15/04/2018 – NATURE TRAVELERS “Mysterious interiors of glaciers” – lecture by prof. Piotr Głowacki from the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund on Spitsbergen
15-17/04/2018 – a WORKSHOP FOR PHD STUDENTS of the Center for Polar Studies (KNOW ISP PhD Meeting), which covered lectures, field activities on water and final presentations. From the deck of the new motorboat of the Institute of Geophysics “Gavia Immer” (glacier dive), various devices for active acoustic research of water depth and bottom were tested, which in future will be used for geophysical research in Spitsbergen
19/04/2018 – the jury of the ART CONTEST for children and school youth titled “Underwater inhabitants of Masurian lakes“. 513 entries were submitted during the regular time for participation in the competition
11/05/2018 – ECOLOGY OF SPRING – a scientific feast, which we have been organizing for three years jointly with the Masurian Landscape Park. There were lectures, classes on the water, 3D microscope workshops. The students took samples themselves, measured water parameters, made preparations, learned to recognize species etc. At noon, in the Conference Room of the Station, the award ceremony was held for the winners of the art contest “Underwater residents of Masurian Lakes”
01/06/2018 – the WHITE STORK DAY in Krutynia, organized by the Masurian Landscape Park, as every year, the Research Station of the Nencki Institute in Mikołajki, prof. Jolanta Ejsmont-Karabin talked about the zooplankton of Lake Mikołajskie, showing it live in 3D technology
5-8/06/2018 – field classes in the subject Ecology of microorganisms for students of the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
12-16/06/2018 – classes for students of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Warsaw took place Ecophysiology of aquatic microorganisms conducted for years by the Department of Ecology of Microorganisms and Environmental Biotechnology of the University of Warsaw
15/06/2018 – IV WHITE STORK RALLY – an educational and sporting event for schoolchildren from our region co-organized with the Masurian Landscape Park took place on the Station. This year’s theme was the nature of our lakes. 7 teams from primary and secondary schools on a 1.5 km long forest route had to find 12 control points and solve the nature tasks waiting for them there. The event ended with a grand award ceremony and a shared bonfire at the lake
21/06/2018 – prof. Jolanta Ejsmont-Karabin from the Research Station of the Nencki Institute in Mikołajki received a professorial nomination from the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda. Congratulations!
23/06/2018 – IV SCIENTIFIC PICNIC was held in the old town of Olsztyn under the slogan “Science is also art“, at which the Research Station of the Nencki Institute in Mikolajki and other units of the Polish Academy of Sciences presented and explained in a interesting and accessible way important scientific issues that nature researchers deal with on a daily basis. In the tent of the Research Station in Mikolajki, it was possible to see in 3D technology, live, beautiful planktonic organisms of our lakes, learn about summer algae blooms, food chains, snails, roller skates and cyclopes
26/07/2018 – HYDROBIOLOGICAL WORKSHOPS (lecture and field and laboratory classes) for the first group of young people participating in the culinary wandering cruise “Little Chef”. Young sailors collected plankton samples, made preparations and recognized the basic species of plankton organisms characteristic of our Masurian lakes
27/07/2018 – an open educational event entitled BRAIN ON VACATION (this is the fourth edition, continuation of holiday brain days), organized by the Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Research Station in Mikolajki. The new program includes: fluorescent shows, illusion zone, microscopic demonstrations, DNA isolation, neuroanatomical exhibition, some games and tests for children and adults prepared by PhD students and employees of the Nencki Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences. About 50 people took part in the event, who came to the Station from both land and water
30/07/2018 – Sławomir Piętka MSc Ing. – specialist in dendrology and dendrometry from the Department of Forestry and Ecology of the Forest, Faculty of Environmental and Agricultural Development of the University of Warmia and Mazury, he performed a preliminary botanical examination of the forest area of the Research Station in Mikolajki. He assessed our forest as a “fresh mixed forest” with a very large variety of species. He estimated the age of some pines for about 150 years! The purpose of the visit was to explore the possibilities of conducting didactic classes at the Station (engineering works, bachelor’s) and research work in the field of forestry sciences by students and scientists from the UWM Forestry Department
02/08/2018 – in tropical conditions, HYDROBIOLOGICAL WORKSHOPS were held for another group of youngsters from the “Little Chef”, an itinerant fishing cruise
14/09/2018 – there were field classes entitled “Geoecosystems” conducted by prof. Andrzej Tatur for students of the Faculty of Geology of the University of Warsaw
22/09/2018 – at the Jan Dembowski Conference Room, there was a solemn SCIENTIFIC SESSION ON THE OCCASION OF THE NAMES CHANGE OF THE STATION in Mikolajki. The session program included lectures on the history, current activities and scientific plans of the Station as well as the 100TH ANNIVERSARY CEREMONY of the Nencki Institute PAN, unveiling the table with a new name: Research Station of the Nencki Institute in Mikołajki and planting commemorative trees in the square in front of the main building.
During the session of prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń, Director of the Institute, together with Tomasz Janecki PhD, head of the Station, in recognition for many years of cooperation and special services for its development, supporting activities, shaping the image and building a joint success, handed the medals of the 100th anniversary of the Institute. Medals were awarded to: prof. Ryszard Chróst (Department of Ecology of Microorganisms and Environmental Biotechnology, University of Warsaw); Mr. Piotr Jakubowski (Mayor of Mikołajki); prof. Marek Konarzewski (Institute of Biology, Department of Animal Ecology); dr hab. Lech Kufel, prof. Associate. (University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce); Kinga Nowak MSc. Ing. (Institute of Dendrology PAS); prof. Joanna Pijanowska (Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw); dr hab. Waldemar Siuda, prof. Associate. (Department of Ecology of Microorganisms and Environmental Biotechnology, University of Warsaw); Krzysztof Wittbrodt MSc. Ing. (Masurian Landscape Park).
In front of the entrance to the main building, prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń unveiled a plaque with the new name of the Station and planted a commemorative tree on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Nencki Institute. The Tree Avenue of the Nencki Institute was also officially opened – the first of the trees was planted by prof. Adam Szewczyk, whose efforts led to the recovery of the Station by the Nencki Institute; the second tree was planted by prof. Lech Wojtczak – an outstanding biochemist and well-deserved employee of the Institute.The session was ended with a gala dinner combined with the evening of memories
25/09/2018 – we hosted a group of PRESCHOOLERS in Giżycko (from the Municipal Kindergarten No. 4), for whom we prepared a lecture about what lives in our lakes and microscopic classes.
05/10/2018 – SCIENCE FESTIVAL 2018 – the next edition of our largest educational event, which for several years we have been organizing together with the Masurian Landscape Park. This year we were visited by as many as 285 primary and high school students, for whom we prepared the interesting workshops and lectures
15-16/10/2018 – AUTUMN HYDROBIOLOGICAL WORKSHOPS were held, which we have been organizing for three years together with the Great Masuria Lakes Protection Foundation from Giżycko for schools in our region. During two days 120 students from Primary Schools in Staświny, Hejdyku, Radziejach and Baranów took part in theoretical and practical classes
14/12/2018 – there was a traditional CHRISTMAS EVE MEETING of the employees of the Research Station in Mikołajki with representatives of the Nencki Institute Directorate: Anna Jachner-Miśkiewicz PhD – Deputy Director for Administrative Affairs, Hanna Fabczak PhD- Plenipotentiary of the Director for the Research Station in Mikołajki and Marek Mańkowski – Head of the Institute’s Technical Department
2019
16/01/2019 – the first meeting of the NATURE TRAVEL series took place this year – “Chinese in Chinese, or a month in Yunnana”, where Anna Zaborowska and Grzegorz Górecki shared impressions from their trip to the Chinese province of Yunnan.
26 and 27/01/2019 – Sławomir Piętka MSc. Ing. from the Department of Forestry and Ecology of the University of Warmia and Mazury made another series of DENDROLOGICAL MEASURMENTS aimed at thorough inventorying and describing the entire stand of the Station. These measurements will last for a whole year. Soon, under his leadership, there will also be students of the Faculty of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences at UWM gathering materials for their engineering works on the ecology of the protected plant species whose positions have been identified in our area.
08/02/2019 – MIND TRAPS – there was a meeting with Rafał Czajkowski PhD – the head of the Laboratory of Spatial Memory at the Nencki Institute, who talked amazingly and colorfully about the mechanisms of perceiving the world around us, illusions, templates, distortions or traps set by our brain. Over 40 people took part in the meeting.
11/02/2019 – at the Research Station, we hosted Ms Maja Jakubiuk and Mr Jarosław Chmielewski from the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Olsztyn. The purpose of their visit was to get informations about the forest area of the Station as well as its laboratory facilities and educational base from the perspective of the project of establishing a botanical garden under the name “Arboretum in Mikołajki”. The conclusions from the inspection were very positive.
13/02/2019 – a meeting with the Director and employees of the Mazurian Landscape Park took placeat the Research Station of the Nencki Institute in Mikołajki. We prepared a CALENDAR of joint educational and POPULARIZING EVENTS for 2019. These will be for example: Nature Picnic at the School in Mikołajki, open nature workshops “Eology of the Spring”, art competition, Stork Day in Krutynia, Science Festival 2019, ecological workshops, photo exhibition, etc.
15/03/2019 – the 5th NATURE PICNIC took place at the School in Mikołajki. The Nencki Institute Research Station in Mikołajki is a co-organizer of this picnic for several years. During the four hours we were visited by several hundred students from primary and secondary schools in our region.
25/03/2019 – the Nencki Institute received from the General Director of Environmental Protection, a decision allowing the CERATION AND MAINTANCE OF THE ARBORETUM – a forestry Botanical Garden at the Research Station in Mikołajki. The Arboretum will be located in the forest surrounding the Station’s buildings, the banks of the lake, and in the area of the technical buildings of the Station (16 ha in total). The collections will be established in the forest area, covering a total of 10.67 ha, and will be composed of various species of shrubs and trees. The collection of clones, lindens, oaks, birches, yews, as well as plant collections from northern and eastern China, the Caucasus, and North America is planned. The vicinity of the lake will allow the presentation of a collection of coastal plants. The restitution of endangered species will also be conducted later in the Arboretum. The Arboretum in Mikołajki, as the second such unit in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodship, will be maintained as a botanical garden of a natural character, that will highlight the local natural values of the nearby Piska Forest.
27/03/2019 – at the Research Station we hosted Mrs. Barbara Dębowska – a biology and geography teacher at schools in Woźnice and Baranowo, and a great fun of long-distance travels who shared with the listeners the impressions from the trip to the land of the Maya, the exotic Yucatan peninsula.