Location
Wolin and Uznam islands are situated in north-western corner of Poland, separating Zalew Szczecinski (the Szczecin Lagoon) and marshy area of regressive delta of the river Swina in the central part of northern shores of the lagoon from the sea. Uznam is a cross-border island, on the border of Poland and Germany. Wolin lies entirely on Poland's territory and is the biggest island in our country.

Special Value
Wolin and Uznam islands owe their special natural value to forest complexes adjacent to cliff shoreline together with beach from the north, forest ecosystems with pine forests, peat bogs, postglacial lakes, erratic boulders and stones. In forests we can come across many sites of protected plants, rich flora and fauna. Regressive delta of the Swina river is a real bird paradise. On Wolin we can find almost model lay of the land of postglacial origin. We can also observe abrasion of cliff - dynamic erosive processes.

Landscape and climate
About 12 thousand years ago regressing Scandinavian continental glacier withdrew from northern Pomerania, leaving wide, flat and marshy valley. The massive pre-Odra river running through that valley was bringing sands and stones, which formed two hills at the river mouth. With time they evolved into Uznam and Wolin islands.

Today we can notice traces of past events in landscape of the area. High terminal moraines are the highest points of the islands (Grzywacz, Gosan). Marshy area of the Swina Delta, numerous lakes, erratic boulders scattered over forests and shores of lakes, precipitous cliffs and beautiful beach with many postglacial boulders and stones; inside the islands coniferous and deciduous forests growing on strongly rugged terrain as well as in flat boggy, often peaty places - it all makes unusual and very interesting landscape.

On area of Wolin and Uznam the climate is relatively mild. It is determined by various masses of air carried by winds blowing from different directions. Humid masses of air from over the Western Europe are responsible for the overcast sky in summer and heavy snowfalls and rainfalls in winter. In autumn and spring north and south winds blow in the area. North winds carry cool and dry Arctic air. Winds of tropical origin carry dry and warm masses of air. In both cases it results in nice weather.

Average temperatures reach here about -2ºC in winter and about +18ºC in summer. Amount of rainfalls: min 35 mm (in February), max 80 mm (in July), indicates maritime character of the local climate.

Ecosystem
Rich and diverse ecosystem of the islands consist of: flat and low area of a ground moraine in the eastern part of Wolin, hill range in the north, including the highest hill Grzywacz (115,4 m asl), sea-cliffs, seaside beech forests with orchid sites, woods, erratic boulders and lakes and regressive delta of the Swina with hundreds of impervious channels and little islands. Such diverse environments are habitat of many species of fauna and flora.

Habitats which can be distinguished on Wolin and Uznam islands according to Annex 1 of the Habitat Directive:

• Atlantic salt meadows
• marshy forests and woods
• Medio-European limestone beech forests
• old acidophilus oak woods
• large shallow inlets and bays
• embryonic shifting dunes
• annual vegetation of drift lines
• vegetated sea cliffs of the Baltic coasts
• Luzulo-fagetum beech forests
• wooded dunes
• semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (important orchid sites)
• decalcified fixed dunes with Empetrum nigrum
• white dunes
• grey dunes
• dunes with Hippophae rhamnoides and Salix repens (dominated by Hippophae rhamnoides)
• dunes with Hippophae rhamnoides and Salix repens (dominated by Salix repens)
• depressions on peat substrates of the Rhynchosporion
• estuaries
• natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamion or Hydrocharition-type vegetation
• European dry heaths
• inland sandy grassland
• calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Carricion davalianae
• transition mires and quacking bogs
• active raised bogs
• hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara
• humid dune slacks
• inland dunes with open Corynephorus and Agrostis grasslands
• rivers with muddy banks with Chenopodion rubri and Bidention vegetation
• Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clavey-silt-laden soils
• Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests

On the islands exists extremely rich world of birds. Around a cliff and a beach we can come across seaside species: well-known seagulls, dunlins and terns. In autumn appear here also long-tailed ducks, accompanied by common eiders and common scoters. Less often we can meet common goldeneyes, divers and grebes.

Situation looks different from the lagoon's side. On steep, precipitous shores builds it's nest kingfisher. A belt of coastal waters of the Szczecinski Lagoon abounds in rare bird species. Here occur green sandpiper, common sandpiper, great crested grebe, reed warbler, shoveler and mute swan. Over waters of the lagoon we can spot a marsh harrier. A white-tailed eagle, an armorial bird of the Wolinski National Park, can be seen by the lagoon's shores and over the Świna delta. In forests live a few species of owls.

Most of the mammals live in forests. Among the smaller we can mention squirrels, martens, weasels, ermines, hedgehogs, rabbits and hares. Wild boar, roe deer and deer are the biggest representatives of the mammals. On area of the refuge we can also meet a badger, an otter and - with enormous luck - a grey seal and a porpoise.

Threats
Area of the islands is exposed to two kinds of threats. Civilization factor: railways, roads, bad underground water management, high voltage lines, littering up the environment, tourist traffic, poaching, angling and fishing. Abandonment of agricultural works in the Swina delta paradoxically makes the situation more complicated - because of that sink halophyte bushes and species of fauna specific for them.

Natural factor consists of climate changes, dynamic transformation of different biotopes, vanishing of the poorest forest communities and transformation of xerotermic environments.

Environmental Protection
In order to protect special natural values of cliff shoreline and the Wolin island on the 3rd of March 1960 the Wolinski National Park was established. It encompassed mostly land areas. In 1996 area of the Park was extended, including 1 mile belt of coastal waters from both sides - the sea and the lagoon. Since then the Wolinski National Park has been the first Polish maritime park. Area of the Park is 10937 ha, from which areas under strict protection cover 498,72 ha. Headquarters of the Park is located in Miedzyzdroje.