Location
The Bug river flows through the territories of Poland, Ukraine and Belarus. Bug has its  spring on Podolska Upland in Ukraine and flows into Zegrzynski Lagoon in Poland. The river is 772 km long, 587 km of it is located within Polish borders. The valley of the Bug river flows in the borderland of Masovia, Kurpie and Podlasia.

Ecosystem
The Bug river is a typical unregulated, lowland river. It meanders and creates numerous bends. In some places the river creates sandbanks and sandy scarps. The shores are covered with thicket, meadows and forests. The valley is characterized by the multitude of bird species. Also some rare water mammals like beavers and otters inhabit this region.

Flora
There are many types of plant assemblies in the valley of the Bug river. You can find there some soppy peat bogs as well as sand dunes and mixed humid forests crossing  to dry coniferous ones.
About 1028 species of plants have been found in this region. 47 from among them are protected species and 170 are considered as rare in our country.

The most precious forest plants are among others: February daphne (Daphne mezereum), Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris), Common Turk’s Cap Lily (Lilium martagon), Yellow foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora), Twinflower (Linnaea borealis), Goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus), Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Round-leaved wintergreen (Pyrola rotundifolia), Twayblade (Listera ovata), Running ground pine (Lycopodium clavatum), Broad-leaved helleborine (Epipactis helleborine).

You can find plants like: Marsh tea (Ledum palustre), Round-leaf sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica) Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum), Globe flower (Trollius europaeus), Southern succisella (Succisella inflexa), Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza maialis), Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata), growing on peat-bogs and on meadows.
From among the water plants the dominant species are: Water lily (Nymphea alba), Spatterdock (Nuphar lutea), Water violet (Hottonia palustris) and Water soldier (Stratiotes aloides).

Fauna

The most numerous group of animals inhabiting the valley of the Bug river are birds. There is over 200 bird species inhabiting this area, 150 of them is nesting there. This region is the biggest Polish mainstay of birds like: Little Tern, Black Tern, Little Ringed Plover and Ringed Plover. Moreover a lot of rare species can be found in this valley, for example: Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Redshank, Little Crake, Water Rail, Marsh Harrier.

There are also perfect nesting places for bank swallows and kingfishers in the sandy scarps on the river banks.
The forests are inhabited by birds like: Black Stork, Woodcock, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Honey Buzzard, Hobby, Sparrow Hawk and Kestrel.

From among mammals inhabiting the forests of this region elks, deers, boars, badgers, foxes, beavers and otters are worth mentioning. The marshy terrains of the valley are a home for a rare species: an European Pond Turtle. The river itself is affluent with fish species. In its waters you can find such unique species like: Bullhead, Barbel, Nase, Vimba and couple species of Eel.

Nature protection
Bug Landscape Park has been established in the valley of the Bug river on the area of 74136,5 ha., making it thus one of the biggest parks in Poland. 13 nature reserves have been located within the borders of the park. Some unique specimens of trees are protected as nature monuments e.g. some very old and big oaks, limes, pines and ashes.