Lower Oder Valley National Park: Anniversary and bird flu alarm!

Lower Oder Valley National Park: Anniversary and bird flu alarm!

This year, November has a very mild atmosphere, with temperatures around 18 degrees, which invite you to linger among the colorful autumn leaves. Not only is nature in a celebratory mood, but so is nature Lower Oder Valley National Park, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. This impressive ceremony is further underlined by the impending opening of a new Polish national park, which noticeably increases the region's appeal.

The national park is known as a resting place for over 100,000 migratory birds, including cranes, ducks and geese. But despite this colorful wildlife, there is worrying news: the outbreak of bird flu, which is affecting both wild birds and poultry farms, is raising alarm bells. St. Martin's geese in particular could become rare this year and therefore more expensive, which could pose a challenge for many Christmas dinners.

A view of the national park

The Lower Oder Valley Nature Park is the only floodplain national park in Germany and forms part of the German-Polish international park. With an impressive cycle and footpath network of around 162 kilometers, the possibilities for excursions and exploration are almost unlimited. The National Park House in Criewen awaits its visitors with a multimedia exhibition and an aquarium that offer interesting insights into the region's flora and fauna.

Especially now that autumn is in full swing, there are many tips for long hikes in the park. From November 11th, the adjacent Polish National Park Narodowy Doliny Dolnej Odry will also be open, offering nature lovers and hikers even more options.

Bird flu and its effects

Bird flu has already led to the killing of geese, chickens and ducks in recent weeks, which could increase poultry prices - a development that is particularly being observed by Martin Beer, head of the Institute for Virus Diagnostics at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute for Animal Health. He warns that cranes, which are highly susceptible to the virus, can be easy carriers, especially if they live in closer groups. Contact with wild birds such as wild ducks and wild geese could be a source of infection, which is of concern in several regions.

Crane deaths caused by the H5N1 virus have already been documented in areas such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and around the Kelbra reservoir. This situation could be further exacerbated by the migration of migratory birds to the region, as influenza cases are expected to increase.

Local culinary news

While nature lovers and bird watchers prepare for the coming weeks, there is also news outside of nature: Gianni Zak has taken over the management of the popular restaurant “Leutloff’s am See”. He opened the Italian restaurant “La Perla”, which, in addition to delicious Italian dishes, also has goose and duck on the menu for Christmas.

With these exciting and sometimes challenging events, the region around the Lower Oder Valley National Park shows its diverse side. Whether exploring nature or enjoying culinary specialties – every exploration tour here offers guests a wealth of experiences.