Tomasz Samojlik

Tomasz Samojlik (; born 1978) is a scientist, a biologist and an environmental historian. In his research he focuses mainly on the history of fires and their role in shaping the Białowieża Primeval Forest's environment, the role of livestock grazing in modifying woodlands of the Białowieża Forest in the last five centuries, and the environmental history of the Białowieża Forest in the 19th and 20th centuries.

He is also a successful author of comic books and books addressed to a wide audience but mostly intended for youth. Samojlik has been using his scientific work to popularize knowledge about the natural environment and its inhabitants, and history of the Białowieża Forest.

Life Samojlik studied in Poland, first at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Inter-faculty European Study where he received Master of Science in 2002.

Since 2002, Samojlik has been working at The Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences (MRI PAS) in the Białowieża National Park, Poland. Samojlik holds an Associate Professor (Adjunct in Polish) position in the Population Ecology Unit of the institute.

As a scientist, Samojlik coordinates European Union projects and makes contributions to the novel field of research, environmental history, especially human impact on the Białowieża Forest. His research also focuses on the history of fires and the role of livestock which among others impact the environment of the Białowieża Forest. The history and the contemporary pattern of habitat use and diet of the European bison that live in the Białowieża Forest is one of his main scientific areas of interest.

Samojlik works as a scientist, but he also draws comics and writes children's books. He is a fruitful author of comic books and books addressed to a wide audience but mostly intended for youth. He decided to be a comic book artist when he was six years old.

He was drawing amateur comics/illustrated stories during his childhood. However, even though at the age of thirteen he had his paid cartoon debut in a local newspaper, “Kurier Podlaski” ["Podlasie press"], he did not believe in his talent. In high school, he realized that the cartoonist profession did not exist at that time, and that he needs to pick a real career. He often refers to his children as his inspiration and the first critics of his work.

Works Samojlik is an author of more than 50 articles in scientific journals, 7 books, 28 book chapters, and 59 popular articles. He published in English, French and Belarusian, numerous scientific articles, book chapters and books, also in collaboration with his peers. His scientific publications were cited about 600 times (as 2021) according to researchgate.

The PAN "Golden Mind – Master of Popularization of Knowledge", 2007. An Arthur Rojszczak prize, given to him by the Club of the Scholarship Holders Foundation, Polish Science 2010. The Science Popularizer Award from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Science & Scholarship in Poland, 2012, VII Edition. The Polish Society of Comics Award, 2012, in the category "Best Story Writer" for the graphic novel The Shrew of Destiny. Evidence of Open Mind Award, in the eight plebiscite of the newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza for introducing a European bison and a shrew in his comics/graphic novels, 2014. An award in a plebiscite of the reader blog awarding youth literature "Lokomotywa" ["The Steam Train"], 2018, in the category comics and graphic novels, for the comic The Shrews' Winter. The Podlaskan Year's Brand Award, category "Culture", for "Pompik the European Bison", 2020

Public appearances

Scientific conferences Samojlik as a scientist is very active internationally. He frequently takes part in international scientific conferences held face-to-face and online, where he does not only present the results of his work but also works as member of scientific committees. He gives talks on the history of science, forest archaeology, environmental history, European forests, and Białowieża Forest.

Book fairs, literature festival appearances, presentations and workshops Samojlik has been present at various book fairs, comic book fairs and intergenerational literature festivals organized virtually and in different Polish cities throughout the years. Additionally, Samojlik enjoys meeting with children. He is frequently invited to talk about his comic books, their characters, and the environment they live in. He has been visiting schools, daycares, and libraries where readers of his books can enjoy listening to his presentations. Furthermore, he also hosts the workshops where he shares his drawing passion, provides drawing tips, and gives his audience an opportunity to try their hand at cartooning.

Interviews There have been a lot of interviews with Samojlik, both online and face-to-face, for example:

The Białowieża Forest and "Pompik the Bison" with Tomasz Samojlik, The Slavic Connexion (September 4, 2020) CYBERspotkania – książka to przyszłość! - Spotkanie on-line z Tomaszem Samojlikiem, Gminna Biblioteka Publiczna w Wielkiej Wsi (May 24, 2021) Spotkanie z Tomaszem Samojlikiem, autorem cyklu o żubrze Pompiku, Cała Polska czyta dzieciom (June 21, 2021)