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The Carp Valley
The way the fishing economy was managed, the history and the structure of the ponds determine their incredible biodiversity, which manifests itself e.g. in the occurrence of rare and endangered bird species (the Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax, the Purple Heron Ardea purpura, the Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris, the Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus, the Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina, the Little Crake Porzana parva, the Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula, the Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus and the Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus), as well as plants (the water chestnut Trapa natans and the floating heart Nymphoides peltata). The valleys of the Soła, Skawa and Vistula Rivers and nearby disused gravel pits provide rich breeding and feeding habitat diversity for these species. Thus this system of habitats makes the place particularly attractive for birds and birdwatchers practically all year round. Because of conditions changing in each season of the year, birds – altogether 314 species, including 180 breeding ones, so more than in most national parks! – are present in different, but actually closely located places. So the tourist (ornithological) season in the region lasts from early spring till late autumn, and even in winter considerable concentrations of birds gather on the non-freezing Vistula River.
The pride and symbol of the area is the Night Heron - a bird whose almost whole Polish population concentrates in the vicinity of Zator, O¶więcim and Skoczów. Also some plant species that are dying out in our country have found refuge here, e.g. the bog bulrush Schoenoplectus mucronatus, waterworts Elatinae, the water chestnut or the floating heart. Especially the last two species occur here in great abundance, having become a floristic symbol of the O¶więcim-Zator Region.
Refuges of the European ecological network "Natura 2000":
 The network "Natura 2000"
The Lower Skawa Valley
The Lower Soła Valley
The Upper Vistula Valley (within the O¶więcim Basin)
The Brzeszcze Ponds
Other protected areas:
"Żaki" forest reserve
"Przeciszów" forest reserve
Conservation areas:
Bukowica
Dolina rzeki Soły
Lipowiec
Przeciszów
Stare Wi¶lisko
Żaki
Non-protected areas:
Fish ponds
The Przeręb Ponds near Zator
The Ponds in Brzeszcze-Nazieleńce
The settling tank of the Brzeszcze Hard Coal Mine
The Dwory Gravel Pit
Vistulan cut-offs
The Soła River Valley
The Skawa River Valley
Peat bog ZapadĽ and the Dulniki Ponds
Forest complexes: Granica Polańska-Dalachowice and Pu¶ciny
The Bachowice and Spytkowice Hills
The Vistula River and the reservoir in Ł±czany
Burzyński's Forest
The Brodawka Valley (on the border of the communes of BrzeĽnica and Wadowice)
The forest in Jawiszowice
The Dziećkowice Reservoir
Interesting animal species:
The Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris and the Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
The White Stork Ciconia ciconia, the Black Stork Ciconia nigra
The common carp Cyprinus carpio
Grebes Podicipedidae
Terns Sternidae
Charadriiformes Charadrii
The Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Interesting plant species:
The floating heart (the fringed water-lily) Nymphoides peltata
The water chestnut (the water caltrop) Trapa natans
The bog bulrush Schoenoplectus mucronatus
The ostrich fern Matteuccia struthiopteris
The floating watermoss Salvinia natans
The giant horsetail Equisetum telmateia
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