Nemunas Delta Regional Park
Encyclopedia
Nemunas Delta Regional Park, established in 1994, is located in Lithuania
within the Nemunas Delta
where the Nemunas flows into the Baltic Sea
. The park covers 29,013 hectare
s.
The park, a Ramsar Convention
site, lies on the East Atlantic Flyway
, a major bird migration route; over 70,000 migratory birds are ringed
there annually. About one-fifth of it is covered by water, including Lake Krokų Lanka
and the rivers Rusne, Skirvyte, Atmata, Pakalne, Vorusne, and Aukstumale. It also supports hay and dairy farming, fishing, hunting, peat
production, tourism, recreation, and conservation education.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
within the Nemunas Delta
Nemunas Delta
Nemunas Delta is the Lithuanian name for the Neman River Delta, in Lithuania.When it reaches the Baltic Sea, the Neman splits into a maze of river branches and canals, forming polders and wetlands that make it a very attractive destination for eco-tourism. The four main distributaries are Atmata,...
where the Nemunas flows into the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. The park covers 29,013 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s.
The park, a Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
site, lies on the East Atlantic Flyway
East Atlantic Flyway
The East Atlantic Flyway is a migration route used by about 90 million birds annually, passing from their breeding areas in United States Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Siberia and northern Europe to wintering areas in western Europe and on to southern Africa. It is one of the eight major flyways used...
, a major bird migration route; over 70,000 migratory birds are ringed
Bird ringing
Bird ringing or bird banding is a technique used in the study of wild birds, by attaching a small, individually numbered, metal or plastic tag to their legs or wings, so that various aspects of the bird's life can be studied by the ability to re-find the same individual later...
there annually. About one-fifth of it is covered by water, including Lake Krokų Lanka
Kroku Lanka
Krokų Lanka is the only lake of marine origin in Lithuania and the largest lake in the Šilutė district municipality. It is located in the Nemunas Delta Regional Park on the Baltic Sea shore near Nemunas Delta and Ventė Cape. It covers a territory of 788 ha...
and the rivers Rusne, Skirvyte, Atmata, Pakalne, Vorusne, and Aukstumale. It also supports hay and dairy farming, fishing, hunting, peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
production, tourism, recreation, and conservation education.