Geoconservation History of a Basalt Quarry – The Case of Mt. Wilkołak, Land of Extinct Volcanoes Geopark, SW Poland

Abstract

AbstractMt. Wilkołak is one among many hills built of mid-Cenozoic basalts in SW Poland, within the Land of Extinct Volcanoes UNESCO Global Geopark. Appreciated as a recreational ground since the first half of the 19th century, it began to be quarried at the beginning of the 20th century. The quarry located on the western slope was soon abandoned, leaving impressive exposures of variously oriented basaltic columns due to thermal jointing and volcanic breccia. Briefly re-used after World War II, the quarry was definitely closed in 1956 and a small geological reserve was established in 1959. In the meantime, basalt exploitation developed at a much larger scale within the eastern slope, leading to the major conflict between conservation and industry, with frequent voices to delist the reserve and continue quarrying towards complete exhaustion of resources and removal of the entire hilltop. In addition, as a result of poor management of the reserve and uncontrolled vegetation growth its values significantly diminished. In the 21st century various actions initiated by the local community, supported by scientists, concurrent with incoming termination of quarrying, opened the debate about the future of Mt. Wilkołak and its quarries. Stone extraction ended in 2019, after a catastrophic collapse of one quarry wall, and rehabilitation works were executed in 2021–2023, aimed at the conversion of the locality into a place focused on geo-education and recreation. Opened in May 2023, it has various interpretation facilities and offers unprecedented insights into the internal structure of a volcanic plug. However, challenges related to site management, enhancement of educational content, and the future of the nature reserve remain.