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ABOUT ME

I am an ethnobotanist and plant ecologist. Over the last several years I have been doing scientific research, writing numerous articles for popular magazines and producing seeds for making wildflower meadows in people’s gardens. I have written two books – an encyclopaedia of wild edible plants of Poland (1000 species), and an encyclopaedia of edible insects and other invertebrates of Poland.
Since 1997 I have been running a farm called Wild Garden which is an informal center for the education on wild edible plants, permaculture and ecological restoration of ecosystems.

STATUS
born 27/9/1972 in Krosno, Poland
married, two daughters

EDUCATION
1999 Doctorate, Warsaw University, “The vegetation structure in the contact zone of forest and grassland.”
1996-97 1.5 year course “The protection and restoration of historic gardens”, Warsaw Agricultural University
1989-94 Master of Science, Warsaw University, “Development of forest edge shrub communities in the Bialowieza Forest”

WORK
from October 2005 Wyzsza Szkola Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna (High Scool of Humanities and Economy) in Lodz, full time employment as a lecturer (anthropology and ecology)
2004/05 Wyzsza Szkola Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna (High Scool of Humanities and Economy) in Lodz, a course in cultural anthropology
2004-05 Rzeszow University, a course in garden design and history
2003/04 Wyzsza Szkola Ekologii i Zarzadzania (High School of Ecology and Management) in Warsaw, contract for running a course in plant ecology
1998-2005 own business – production of wild flower seeds for making meadows in gardens (www.luczaj.com), garden design, courses on edible plants
1994-98 Botanic Garden of Warsaw University, scientific assistant and supervisor of greenhouses

MAIN INTERESTS
ETHNOBOTANY – the use of wild plants and insects in traditional rural societies; famine plants; plants used in Paleolithic times.
PLANT ECOLOGY – restoration of grassland and forest ecosystems; use of wild native plant communities in urban plantings; alien plant invasions
AGRICULTURE – sustainable agriculture: the prospects of using woodland ecosystems for producing food (Quercus, Polygonatum, Lilium, Juglans etc.)

LANGUAGES
Polish (native), fluent English (Cambridge Proficiency Examination, grade A), basic German, Russian, Latin, beginner learner of Chinese (ca. 800 words).

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
from 1998 courses in wild edible plants
2004/05 Rzeszow University, contract for running a course in garden design and history
2004/05 Wyzsza Szkola Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna (High Scool of Humanities and Economy) in Lodz, a course in cultural anthropology
2003/04 Wyzsza Szkola Ekologii i Zarzadzania (High School of Ecology and Management) in Warsaw, a course in plant ecology
1994-98 Warsaw University, classes in systematic botany, dendrology and practical botany

PUBLICATIONS

Books
1. Luczaj L. 2005 Podręcznik robakożercy. [The Handbook of Wormeater, in Polish]– Chemigrafia, Krosno, 95 pp.
2. Luczaj L. 2002 Dzikie rosliny jadalne Polski. Przewodnik survivalowy. [Wild Edible Plants of Poland, in Polish]- Chemigrafia, Krosno, 236 pp.

Papers in peer reviewed journals
  1. Luczaj L. 2008. Archival data on wild food plants used in Poland in 1948 - Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2008, 4:4 [PDF]
  2. Luczaj L. 2007. Śródpolne żywopłoty Wysp Brytyjskich i północnej Francji. [Hedges in the countryside of British Isles and northern France]. Rocznik Dendrologiczny 55: 87-96. [PDF]
  3. Luczaj L. & Szymanski W.M. 2007. Wild vascular plants gathered for consumption in the Polish countryside: a review - Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2007, 3:17 [PDF]
  4. Luczaj L. 2006. Using a seed mix to establish native hay meadows species in ornamental meadows. – Polish Botanical Studies 22: 347-354.
  5. Luczaj L. 2006. Pulmonaria rubra (Boraginaceae) – nowy gatunek we florze Polski. [Pulmonaria rubra (Boraginaceae) – new species to the flora of Poland.] -Fragmenta Floristica et Geobotanica Polonica 13(2): 414-416.
  6. Sielezniew M, Stankiewicz A., Luczaj L. & Gornicki A. 2003. Wystepowanie i ekologia modraszka Rebela, Maculinea rebeli Hirschke (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) w Polsce. On the distribution and the ecology of Mountain Alcon Blue Maculinea rebeli Hirschke (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) in Poland. - Przeglad Zoologiczny 47 (3-4).
  7. Gutkowska B., Krowiak M, Luczaj L., Niedzwiedzka J. & Oklejewicz K. 2002 Notatki Florystyczne z Pogorza Dynowskiego (Karpaty Zachodnie) [botanical notes from the Western Carpathians]- Fragm. Flor. Geobot. Polonica 9: 43-47
  8. Luczaj L & Oklejewicz K. 2001 Uzupelnienia do flory Dolow Jasielsko-Sanockich. [botanical notes from the Western Carpathians]- Fragm. Flor. Geobot. Polonica 8: 276-278
  9. Adamowski W., Medrzycki P., Luczaj L. 1998 The penetration of alien woody species into the plant communities of the Bialowieza Forest: the role of biological properties and human activities. - Phytocoenosis N.S. 10 - Supplementum Cartographiae Botanicae 9: 211-228
  10. Luczaj L & Sadowska B. 1997 Edge effect in different groups of organisms: vascular plant, bryophtyte and fungi species richness across a forest-grassland border. Folia Geobotanica et Phytotaxonomica 32: 343-353
  11. Adamowski W. & Luczaj L. 1995 Zagrozenie i program restytucji flory kserotermicznej rezerwatu "Gora Uszescie" w Mielniku nad Bugiem. [paper about the protection of a chalk grassland reserve in NE Poland] - Chronmy Przyrode Ojczysta 1: 80-91
  12. Falinski J.B., Adamowski W., Lapszina E., Luczaj L., Venanzoni R. 1995(1991) Vegetation of Kudriaszovskij Bor.- Phytocoenosis (N.S.) Archivum Geobotanicum 3: 19-23
  13. Luczaj L. 1994 Development of forest edge scrub communities in the Bialowieza Forest in north-eastern Poland. - Fragmenta Floristica et Geobotanica 39(2): 589-604
  14. Luczaj L. & Adamowski W. 1991 Dziczenie irgi lsniacej (Cotoneaster lucidus Schlecht.) w Puszczy Białowieskiej. [Cotoneaster lucidus going feral in the Bialowieza Forest]- Phytocoenosis (N.S.) 3, Seminarium Geobotanicum 1: 269-274.