Educational Films: Threats Associated with Sosnowsky’s Hogweed

Sosnowsky’s hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi) is an invasive plant that poses a serious threat to human health and the environment. The plant’s sap contains furanocoumarins – compounds that, when exposed to sunlight, can cause severe phototoxic skin reactions, leading to painful redness, blisters and burns.

In order to limit the spread of this dangerous plant, the international project “Protecting the biodiversity of cross-border territories of Ukraine and Poland from invasive hogweed (Heracleum) populations”, No. PLUA.01.03-IP.01-0008/23, is being implemented with co-financing from the European Union under the Interreg NEXT Poland–Ukraine 2021–2027 Programme. One of the project partners is the University of Life Sciences in Lublin.

As part of the project activities, educational films were prepared with the aim of increasing environmental awareness among local communities in Poland and Ukraine. The films were published on the official YouTube channel of the project leader, the Lviv Chamber of Agriculture.

Film 1: “Sosnowsky’s Hogweed in the Lviv Region: A Threat to Biodiversity”

The film presents the main objectives of the project, which is being implemented through cooperation between Polish and Ukrainian specialists. The project activities focus on reducing populations of Sosnowsky’s hogweed, protecting biodiversity and improving the safety of local residents.

Polish version:

Ukrainian version:

Version with English subtitles:

Film 2: “Invasive Alien Species – Threats and Control”

The film presents Sosnowsky’s hogweed as one of the most dangerous invasive species occurring in Poland and Ukraine. It discusses the threats the plant poses to people, animals and the environment, as well as methods of controlling its spread.

Polish version:

Ukrainian version:

Film 3: “Control and Protection Against Invasive Alien Species”

The film presents methods of controlling Sosnowsky’s hogweed and limiting its occurrence, as well as safety rules and procedures to be followed in the event of contact with the plant.

Polish version:

Ukrainian version:

Film 4: “Are Aliens Among Us? – Biological Invasion”

The film explains the phenomenon of biological invasion in a simple and accessible way, using Sosnowsky’s hogweed as an example of an alien species which, after being introduced into the environment, began to pose a threat to native plant and animal species. The material explains concepts such as native species, alien species, invasive alien species and biodiversity, and discusses the impact of invasive species on the environment.

Polish version:

Ukrainian version:

Film 5: “Identification and Reporting of Invasive Alien Species”

The film presents methods of identifying Sosnowsky’s hogweed and reporting new locations of the species using the BarszczAlert application developed as part of the project.

Polish version:

Ukrainian version:

We invite you to watch the films and learn more about Sosnowsky’s hogweed, the threats associated with its occurrence, and methods of limiting its spread.