As Independence Day approaches, authorities in the Pieniny National Park (PPN) are calling for flags not to be flown on mountaintops. – The flag is a foreign element in the national park and can be a death trap for the animals entangled in it – PPN authorities argue, noting that under the Law on National Symbols the flag must be respected and respected.
“Since the main purpose of national parks is to protect nature, we ask that you do not leave such items in the field. We understand how important the manifestation of a feeling of patriotism is to many citizens, we see that such images can move and feel to awaken pride, but it is a foreign element here, if the flag is lifted by the wind, it can fly to an inaccessible place, where it can rot, and it can become a deadly trap for become entangled in it,” says the PPN Facebook profile. As the PPN naturalists argue, “the flag makes a loud noise that scares the birds and if it is seen from a distance, it becomes an annoying point in the landscape.” parks must dispose of such flags left behind “as if no one returned the flag.”
Such an event has already happened
According to the Law on the Coat of Arms, Colors and Anthem of the Republic of Poland and State Seals, respecting and honoring these symbols is the right and duty of every Pole, and as PPN authorities say, placing flags in uncontrolled places exposes this symbol to cruel treatment and even abuse. On November 11, 2018, a tourist planted a white and red flag on a pole in the viewing gallery of Okraglica – the highest peak in the Three Crowns massif in the Pieniny Mountains. A day later, the flag was removed from the peak by PPN workers.
Main image source: Adobe Stock
