Freshwater bodies and Rivers
Wetland and water management
Cross-Border Rewilding and Waterway Restoration in the Oder Delta, Poland–Germany
Oder (Odra) Delta across the Polish–German border, incl. Stettin (Szczecin) Lagoon, Ueckermünder Heath, and tributaries (Ina, Gowienica, Uecker)
A cross-border rewilding initiative is restoring rivers, floodplains, peatlands and coastal habitats across the 470,000-hectare Oder Delta, while supporting wildlife comeback and nature-based local economies. Actions include river restoration and obstacle removal for migratory fish, peatland rewetting, coastal breeding site protection, and community programmes that grow guiding, wildlife tourism and local enterprise.
The Oder Delta is a large mosaic of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, with nearly 70,000 hectares of open lagoon waters and exceptional value along a major migratory flyway. Historic drainage, peat-cutting and river regulation altered hydrology and habitats. Recent rewetting (e.g., German pastures; peat-cutting cessation in Poland) has enabled strong wildlife recoveries, positioning rewilding as a pathway to biodiversity gains and rural livelihoods near Berlin and Baltic resorts.
- Rewetting and river restoration, including rewetting the Rożnowo Plain and restoring sections and banks of rivers around the Stettin Lagoon to revitalise hydrological processes and biodiversity.
- Floodplain reconnection and removal of obstacles to improve fish migration, with spawning gravels restored on the Ina River alongside anti-poaching measures to support migratory fish return.
- Peatlands mapped and targeted for restoration in the Ueckermünder Heath and Trzebież areas; preparations underway to purchase and restore a section of the Uecker River; pilot restoration sites identified on other creeks and rivers.
- Wildlife comeback supported through monitoring, outreach, and coexistence work, including preparation for elk return to Germany and integration of beaver benefits (water retention, cleaner waterways, biodiversity) into local planning and engagement.
- Nature-based economy enabled through an Oder Delta Network (launched 2023) and partnerships with the local tourism association, plus wildlife watching infrastructure (hides, lodging) and nature-guide capacity building.
- Engagement at scale, including the Ina River Cleanup 2025 (over 130 participants) and cross-border workshops, guided tours, and joint sessions on coexistence with lynx and wolves.
- 2018: 1,460 ha Anklamer Stadtbruch wilderness area purchased (NABU Foundation); “Nature Guide Network” launched (South Baltic Interreg).
- 2019: Rewilding Oder Delta NGO officially created; 440 ha Bargischow Polder rewetted; Interreg Europe “Wildlife Economy” project begins; lynx reintroduction underway from 2019 onwards.
- 2021: Interviews/field meetings with Polish and German farmers feed into GrazeLIFE Practitioner’s Guide; €1 million German Postcode Lottery grant received; three-year REWILD_DE research initiative begins; team of ~10 part/full-time staff in place by 2021.
- 2023: Two juvenile lynx released east of the Oder Delta; Oder Delta Network launched; first cross-border gathering of nature-tourism partners.
- 2025: Ina River Cleanup in Goleniów with 130+ participants; Works on river/riverbank restoration, floodplain reconnection, barrier removal for fish migration, spawning gravel restoration, peatland mapping/restoration, coastal restoration on islands in Western Pomerania, and nature-based tourism development.
The programme restores hydrological processes and habitats by re-meandering/rewilding river sections, reconnecting floodplains, reinstating spawning gravels and removing barriers, while mapping and rewetting peatlands and safeguarding coastal breeding sites. Complementary actions support large herbivore and carnivore comeback, anti-poaching, and beaver coexistence. A parallel track builds a nature-based economy through guide training, enterprise networks, infrastructure (hides, solar-boats), and cross-border branding.
Intervention details
The restoration work targets ecosystem connectivity in and around the Stettin Lagoon, with a particular focus on the cross-border Ueckermünder Heath and the Ina and Gowienica rivers. Working with local partners, the team is restoring sections of rivers and their banks, reconnecting floodplains, and removing obstacles that restrict fish migration, with the overall aim of restoring natural water flow and improving landscape resilience. On the Ina River, spawning gravels are being restored in collaboration with local partner TPRIiG; this is paired with anti-poaching measures intended to support the return of migratory fish such as salmon and sea trout. Peatlands are being mapped and restored in the Ueckermünder Heath and Trzebież area, and preparations are being made to purchase and restore a section of the Uecker River; additional pilot restoration sites have been identified on other creeks and rivers. Coastal restoration is also underway on islands in Western Pomerania, aimed at improving breeding conditions for shorebirds.
A notable landscape-scale intervention referenced is the flooding of former polders along the German Peene River, which created new nature areas with rich birdlife and habitat for otters and beavers, including near towns such as Anklam. The project reports recent rewetting of the Rożnowo Plain alongside river restoration work as revitalising hydrological processes and enriching biodiversity. To accelerate wildlife comeback, the team supports monitoring and community outreach for species such as Eurasian lynx; in 2023, two juvenile lynx were released just east of the Oder Delta with support from the European Wildlife Comeback Fund to strengthen the genetic pool of a population reintroduced from 2019 onwards.
The programme also prepares communities for the return of elk to Germany as elk expand westward from Poland, and supports European bison recovery east of the delta in collaboration with experts from Zachodniopomorskie Towarzystwo Przyrodnicze (ZTP), who monitor movements and interactions with roads and fencing. Beaver-related work is integrated into the wildlife comeback strategy, with targeted engagement on coexistence and municipal events delivered with partners such as ZERUM, highlighting benefits including water retention, cleaner waterways and increased biodiversity. On nature-based livelihoods, the work includes developing an evolving network of local nature guides and enterprises, building wildlife watching hides and lodging, and collaborating with the local tourism association to improve visitor guidance and routing, strengthen guide networks, and develop an educational system for nature guides.
A key organisational step was the creation of the Oder Delta Network in 2023, bringing together nature-based entrepreneurs, local producers and tourism actors from Poland and Germany; the first cross-border gathering of nature tourism partners also took place in 2023 to support long-term cooperation and shared branding. Supporting initiatives include the LEADER “Digital destination and local guides” project (started 2016) which produced a guiding handbook in 2018 (EU LEADER with co-funding from Rewilding Europe), the South Baltic Interreg “Nature Guide Network” (launched 2018) to develop joint standards and a shared online platform, and the Interreg Europe “Wildlife Economy” project (began 2019) involving DUH and partners from four regions to strengthen the economic case for rewilding.
Key stakeholders
- Rewilding Europe
- Rewilding Oder Delta
- NABU Foundation
- Zachodniopomorskie Towarzystwo Przyrodnicze (ZTP)
- ZERUM (Centre for Experiential Education and Environmental Education)
- TPRIiG
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) / Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU)
- Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE)
- German Postcode Lottery
- European Wildlife Comeback Fund
- Local tourism association
- DUH (organisation referenced as partner in the Interreg Europe “Wildlife Economy” project)
- Polish and German farmers
- Conservation authorities and different NGOs
Financial metrics
Funding sources
- Rewilding Europe
- German federal government
- German Postcode Lottery
- European Regional Development Fund (ERDF/ EFRE)
- Open Rivers Programme
- European Wildlife Comeback Fund
- EU LEADER programme
- South Baltic Interreg “Nature Guide Network”
- Interreg Europe “Wildlife Economy” project
Budget
- €1,000,000 grant received in 2021 from the German Postcode Lottery
Environmental
- Species recovery: white-tailed eagle population remains stable (EU’s highest breeding density). Populations of beaver, otter, lynx and wolf are described as growing; grey seals are increasingly present along the Baltic coast; elk are spreading westward into the landscape; harbour porpoise in the Pomeranian Bay is increasing again.
- Fish migration: spawning gravels are being restored on the Ina (together with anti-poaching measures) and obstacles are being removed to enhance fish migration (extent/quantities: Information not available).
- Habitat restoration: river sections and banks are being restored, with floodplains reconnected (quantified areas/lengths: Information not available). Peatlands are being mapped and restored in the Ueckermünder Heath and Trzebież area (quantified areas: Information not available). Coastal areas on islands in Western Pomerania are being restored to support shorebird breeding (quantified areas: Information not available).
- Rewilding assets: wetland site connectivity strengthened in the Peene Valley through the purchase of the 1,460 ha Anklamer Stadtbruch wilderness area and the rewetting of the nearby 440 ha Bargischow Polder, completing the connection to other reflooded areas.
Social
- Participation and engagement: over 130 people participated in the Ina River Cleanup 2025 event; stakeholder workshops and guided tours (including along the Ina River) have been used for hands-on learning; joint sessions addressing coexistence between humans, lynx and wolves have been organised.
- Outreach and capacity building: a network of local nature guides and nature-based enterprises is being developed; the first cross-border gathering of nature tourism partners took place in 2023, laying groundwork for long-term cooperation and shared branding; since 2021, a trilingual website has supported engagement in German, Polish and English.
- Community readiness for wildlife comeback: communities along the Polish–German border are being readied for elk; beaver-related coexistence work has been supported through events for municipalities, stakeholders and local communities (highlighting benefits such as improved water retention, cleaner waterways and increased biodiversity).
Economic
- Nature-based economy enabling actions: the Oder Delta Network launched in 2023 to bring together nature-based entrepreneurs, local producers and tourism actors from Poland and Germany; collaboration with the local tourism association aims to improve visitor guidance/routing, strengthen the nature-guide network and develop a new educational system for guides.
- Tourism offer strengthening: sustainable nature-based tourism is described as flourishing along the Peene River and Anklamer Stadtbruch, including solar-powered boat tours and wildlife-watching experiences; wildlife watching hides and lodging are being developed (quantified revenue/jobs: Information not available).
- Funding secured: The grant received from the German Postcode Lottery to support rewilding measures in the cross-border Ueckermünder Heath, focusing on restoring and reconnecting rivers.
- Human–wildlife coexistence requires continues outreach and dialogue, including joint sessions on coexistence with lynx and wolves and community readiness work for elk along the Polish–German border.
- Interactions between wildlife and infrastructure are a practical consideration: movements of free-roaming bison are being monitored, including their interaction with roads and fencing infrastructure.
- Poaching pressure necessitates sustained enforcement and community support.
- Governance & policy: Cross-border coordination and multi-partner coalitions (NGOs, research institutes, local authorities, user groups) are essential for basin-to-bay restoration and wildlife comeback.
- Funding & economics: Dedicated grants and programme funding (e.g., German Postcode Lottery, LEADER, Interreg) catalyse habitat works and enterprise development; Organised networks (e.g., the Oder Delta Network) support the development of a nature-based economy by bringing together entrepreneurs, local producers and tourism actors to collaborate and support a nature-based economy.
For Reference
- Rewilding Europe, Odder Delta, 2025.
Information not available yet.
