Narew National Park

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Narew National Park (Polish: Narwiański Park Narodowy) is a national park located in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, in northeastern Poland. It was established in 1996. Before that, the area was part of the Narew Landscape Park.

Narew National Park (Polish: Narwiański Park Narodowy) is a national park located in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, in northeastern Poland. It was established in 1996. Before that, the area was part of the Narew Landscape Park.

The park includes a 35-kilometer (22-mile) section of the Narew River. It is a wetland valley with hills formed by glacial deposits, typical of a river with many channels. Depending on the season and water levels, the area includes several ecosystems near the river, such as swamps, areas with tall grasses surrounded by black alder (Latin: Alnus glutinosa) and white willow (Latin: Salix alba) forests. The total area of the park is 73.5 square kilometers (28.4 square miles). Of this, 20.57 square kilometers (7.94 square miles) is owned by the government. The remaining land is divided among 12,000 private plots, mostly owned by small farmers.

The park covers the Upper Narew Valley, a wetland area between the towns of Suraż and Rzędziany. About 98% of the park consists of rivers, lands that flood seasonally, or wetlands. The Narew River is the main river in the park. It splits into many smaller river channels, along with other rivers such as Liza, Szeroka Struga, Awissa, Kurówka, Kowalówka, Turośnianka, and Czaplinianka.

The park’s landscape includes many types of marshes, reed beds, meadows, and forests. The Narew Valley is home to 213 bird species, some of which are found only in this area. About 36 mammal species live there, including elk, otters, and around 260 beavers. The park’s waters contain 27 fish species and amphibians. Invertebrates include over 200 rotifer species, more than 70 plankton species, and 66 butterfly species (about 40% of all butterfly species in Poland). The park is protected under the Ramsar Convention for wetland conservation.

Cultural attractions include traditional village huts, old road crosses, and windmills. One attraction is a private archaeological museum owned by Władysław Litwinczuk. The park also includes an old manor house in Kurowo.

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