Celebrate World Wetlands Day with an unforgettable trip
Wetlands are one of the most important ecosystems, yet they are also among the most endangered in the world. They play a key role not only in nature, but also in people’s lives in many ways. They provide shelter for plants and animals, ensure the availability of food and clean water, protect coastlines, act as natural flood defences and store carbon dioxide, which helps regulate climate change. Unfortunately, wetlands are often considered unusable land and have therefore been, and sadly still are, targeted for destruction, particularly through drainage and conversion to drier agricultural land. The loss and damage of wetland areas also has a negative impact on birds. Since the 1980s, we have seen a significant decline in the numbers of many aquatic and wetland species.
World Wetlands Day aims to highlight the importance of protecting marshes, moors, peat bogs, coastal zones of ponds, floodplain forests, river floodplains, oxbow lakes, pools, flooded meadows and springs. Fourteen sites in the Czech Republic are included in the list of the world’s most important wetlands.
Although wetlands can be found almost everywhere in the world, more than 64% of them have disappeared since 1900! Their protection and the threats they face are the subject of a new conservation and awareness campaign called Wetlands for Life. Organised by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, this campaign will focus on protecting these valuable but highly endangered ecosystems on Earth – wetlands – in 2026/2027. Zoos from the Czech Republic and Slovakia are involved.
The most important wetlands in the Czech Republic
There are many wetlands in the Czech Republic, but only some are protected under the Ramsar Convention. Among them is the Krkonoše National Park, where wetlands and peat bogs represent a unique sample of Nordic nature in Central Europe.
Other examples include the Šumava peat bogs, the Třeboň ponds, the Novozámecký and Břehyňský ponds, the Lednice ponds, Litovelské Pomoraví, Poodří, the Krkonoše peat bogs, the Třeboň peat bogs, the wetlands of the lower Podyjí, the Liběchovka and Pšovka wetlands, the underground Punkva, the Krušnohorský peat bogs, the springs and peat bogs of the Slavkovský Forest, and the Horní Jizera. The total area of our wetlands is 635 km2, which is less than 1% of the total area of the Czech Republic.
Where to find wetland animals?
Don’t forget that nature is a great place to visit even in winter. Water birds gather on unfrozen bodies of water, and among them you can also see visitors from the north. Although the Czech Ornithological Society was unable to organise its popular walks this year due to the pandemic, that doesn’t stop us from heading out to ponds, pools and rivers on our own.
Don’t forget to bring a snack, good shoes, binoculars and warm clothing, as bird watching often requires stopping and standing still.
Prague residents can go birdwatching at the Modřany pools near the confluence of the Berounka and Vltava rivers, in Stromovka Park, at Počernický Pond, at the meanders of the Botič River and at the Hostivař Dam, at the Milíčovské ponds, or at Šeberák.
There is also a pleasant walk from Srbsko along the Berounka River to Beroun. You can also set off from Rokycany along the Klabava River to Chrást, where you can then return by train.
You can also visit the lakes of northern and western Bohemia, such as Lake Milada, Most, Matylda, Michal, Medard or Barbora. In the Českolipsko region near Doksy, visit the Břehyně – Pecopala National Nature Reserve. Mácha Lake in particular is sure to be busy. The meanders of the Ploučnice River, the Hradčany ponds and the Novozámecký pond also offer great experiences. In South Moravia, you can take the educational trail along the Vrbenské ponds dam, visit the Novosedlcké ponds near Dívčice, and also visit Velký Tisý and the Třeboň ponds and peat bogs.
In Moravia, we recommend a trip to the Nesyt Pond (between Lednice and Valtice), where there is an ornithological observatory for bird watching in the Valtice Bay. You can also visit the Poodří Protected Landscape Area, where you can see wintering birds on the pond system around Albrechtičky and the meanders of the Odra River. In Litovelské Pomoraví, don’t forget to visit Chomoutovské Lake. You can also find birds in the meadows near Kozmice in the Hlučín region in the Opava River basin.
