The Bialowieza Forest 26.11.2005

The Bialowieza Forest in Poland, located between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, is one of the largest forests in Europe. It is one of the last and largest remaining parts of the immense primeval forest that once stretched across the European Plain. The forest is home to 800 European bison, Europe's heaviest land animal. UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) designated the Polish Biosphere Reserve Białowieża in 1976 and the Belarusian Biosphere Reserve Belovezhskaya Puschcha in 1993. In 2015, the Belarusian Biosphere Reserve occupied the area of 216,200 ha (2,162 km2; 835 sq mi), subdivided into transition, buffer and core zones. The forest has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an EU Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation. The World Heritage Committee by its decision of June 2014 approved the extension of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Belovezhskaya Pushcha/Białowieża Forest, Belarus, Poland”, which became “Białowieża Forest, Belarus, Poland”. It straddles the border between Poland (Podlaskie Voivodeship) and Belarus (Brest and Grodno voblasts), and is 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of Brest, Belarus and 62 kilometres (39 miles) southeast of Białystok, Poland. The Białowieża Forest World Heritage site covers a total area of 141,885 ha (1,418.85 km2; 547.82 sq mi). Since the border between the two countries runs through the forest, there is a border crossing available for hikers and cyclists.

The Forest of Tronçais 19.6.1976

The Forest of Tronçais (Forêt de Tronçais) is a French national forest, a forêt domaniale, comprising 10,600 hectares in the Allier, managed by the Office national des forêts. Its oaks, planted by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, minister of Louis XIV to supply the French navy, constitute one of the principal stands of oaks in Europe.

Within the forest boundaries are the communes of Braize, Cérilly, Isle-et-Bardais, Le Brethon, Meaulne, Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais, Urçay, Valigny and Vitray.

Fragile Forest and the 25th Anniversary of the Singapore Zoological Gardens 5.6.1998

The above set of stamps was launched on the 5th June 1998 in conjunction with the launch of the Fragile Forest and the 25th Anniversary of the Singapore Zoological Gardens. The Fragile Forest is a new ecological display in the Singapore Zoological Gardens, based on the various rainforest ecosystems. The display is primarily on invertebrates but will also include small mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. The 10 animals featured on the stamps are: Rhino Beetle, Surinam Horned Frog, Atlas Moth, Green Iguana, Giant Scorpion, Hissing Cockroach, Two-toed Sloth, Archer Fish, Cobalt Blue Tarantula and Greater Mouse deer.
Originally intended as an exclusively invertebrate exhibit, Fragile Forest has metamorphosed into an ecological experience bringing together plants and animals; both vertebrates and invertebrates, with a major emphasis on the latter. Some of the main ecosystems showcased include tropical rainforest, coral reef as well as mangrove habitats. With the setting up of Fragile Forest, it is hoped that guests will have an increased awareness and appreciation of the remarkably diverse and delicate relationships existing in an ecosystem.