Thank you to PCGamesN and Adweek for bringing this story to your attention!
The Białowieża Forest, straddling Poland and Belarus, is a stunning primeval forest and the last lowland forest in Europe, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sounds impressive, right?
Recently, however, a significant logging operation threatened the entire area. Fortunately, some very clever individuals put an end to it by utilizing Minecraft PE. They named their initiative The Last Tree Standing.
The Polish advertising agency Ogilvy, in collaboration with Greenpeace Poland, devised this innovative method of forest preservation. After analyzing maps, satellite images, and photographs, Ogilvy created a detailed plan depicting the entirety of Białowieża Forest, which was then meticulously recreated by the Danish team Geoboxers in Minecraft Pocket Edition. They constructed the entire forest, including every tree, stream, and flower… everything.
They successfully produced a digital replica of the forest at a 1:1 scale. While this is quite remarkable, the digital version of Białowieża will lack the real ecosystem that nurtures our planet.
However, that’s where a whole new group of people comes into play.
I had to significantly reduce the size to fit this massive map on the website, but you can see it all on the page To The Last Tree Standing. You can even download it!
Twelve renowned landscape photographers captured screenshots of Białowieża Forest in Minecraft PE and showcased their work in a gallery. A documentary about this forest was filmed digitally, featuring commentary from Krystyna Czubówna, a well-known Polish wildlife narrator.
Perhaps most importantly, they received support from Gimper, a widely popular Polish streamer who played Minecraft on a 19-gigabyte map of the forest live on Twitch.
The contrast between the first version of the forest—the vibrant, tree-filled reality—and the second, barren representation serves as a stark polarization. The teams hoped this would illustrate to young people what their future might look like if they choose not to intervene.
When Gimper finally discovered the last standing tree, he touched it, causing all the trees to return, restoring the forest to its former glory. Thousands watched the stream in Minecraft, while many others engaged with the project through various Minecraft-related initiatives.
Thus, the project The Last Tree Standing garnered incredible support not only in Poland but globally, leading to a halt in logging activities within Białowieża Forest.
The team behind To The Last Tree Standing is far from finished. They are determined to protect these ancient plants and nurture the life that depends on them, meaning they are still seeking assistance. If you’d like to learn more or even download Białowieża Forest in Minecraft, be sure to click here and visit their site—and leave your axe at home!
