Benedict the Pole Award is an honour granted to Polish citizens for, among other things, promoting research topics and cooperation with Polish scientists abroad.
The researcher has participated in more than 20 tropical expeditions. In 2020 she was honoured with the Otto Wichterle Award for her research activity and protection of naturally valuable tropical ecosystems. In 2021, she won a prize of the American Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation for important research on orchids. The biologist from Lodz has discovered 370 species of orchids previously unknown to science. Prof. Marta Kolanowska often conducts field research, mainly in South America. For this reason, among other things, she is among 5 young biologists in the world, who were awarded by the Foundation with an amount of USD 100 000 in the field research category.
The Award Chapter includes representatives of The Explorers Club: Prof. Stanisław Rakusa Suszczewski, Prof. Mariusz Ziółkowski, Monika Rogozińska, Prof. Tomasz Schramm; Warsaw Scientific Society: Prof. Leszek Zasztowt, Prof. Paweł Haensel, Prof. Maria Krzysztof Byrski, Prof. Lech Mróz and representatives of Łęczyca County: the mayor: Janusz Mielczarek, Krystyna Pawłak, Prof. Ryszard Grygiel and Jacek Ziółkowski.
The award ceremony will be held in June 2023 in Warsaw.
Nagroda im. Benedykta Polaka. Kapituła wybrała zwycięzców [Benedict the Pole Award. The Award Chapter has chosen the winners] (in Polish)
Gratulacje dla dr hab. Marty Kolanowskiej, Laureatki Nagrody Głównej im. Benedykta Polaka [Congratulations to dr hab. Marta Kolanowska, the Winner of the Benedict the Pole Award] (in Polish)
Source: Łęczyca County, Polska w Kolumbii – gov.pl
Edit: Communications and PR Centre, University of Lodz