The most valuable fragments of the area haven been granted legal protection; the most important among them on the polish side of the border include, from south to north, the Warta Mouth National Park; the Warta Mouth Landscape Park, which covers also the scenic downstream reaches of the River Myśla, a right-bank Oder tributary; the Cedynia Landscape Park; the Lower Oder Valley Landscape Park (with a sibling, the Nationalpark Unteres Odertal, on the German side); the Szczecin Landscape Park; and Wolin National Park. The parks listed primarily protect the most valuable plant communities: those developed on open wetlands (situated immediately on the banks of the Oder and its tributaries) and those typical of dry areas (for instance, the reserves of Bielinek and Cedynia Heaths) as well as woodlands growing on the bottom and slopes of the valleys of the Oder and its tributaries, and also fragments of large forest complexes (the Oder Forests, the Piaskowa Forest, the Goleniów Forest), extending mostly east of the Oder, the second largest Polish river.
The Oder Valley in Western Pomerania is a unique region that supports, inter alia, habitats of old river beds and other eutrophic water reservoirs protected according to the European Union regulations (Habitats Directive); such areas contribute almost 70% to the "Lake Dąbie and Międzyodrze" refuge system. In addition, the Szczecin Lagoon encompasses the highest number of the Habitats Directive-protected habitats of the Province, the Lagoon constituting a representative system interesting not only in terms of its natural qualities. Noteworthy is also very rich, coastal area " Wolin and Usedom" which includes as many as 29 habitats listed in the Annex to the Directive, with an astounding amount of habitat and species diversity, from coastal salt marshes to coastal heaths to the extremely well-preserved inland dunes with club grass and dry inland arenaceous swards (Koelerion glaucae).
The crucial factor for the nomination of the Międzyodrze Destination is the commitment of local stakeholders and authorities into sustainable development of aquatic tourism. Crossborder tourism cluster is an organization that tries to use the great potential of Oder river with respect to local nature and wildlife.
The section of the Oder river extending between the mouth of its largest tributary, the Warta, near Kostrzyń, and the Baltic Sea is called the Lower Oder Valley
The Barycz Valley has been awarded in the EDEN competition owing to the fact that it is a region of an integrated ecosystems management with well-protected environment and well-preserved cultural traditions.
Drawsko Lake, is 1,871 ha large, 12,6 km long and 3.9 km wide (the 12th largest lake in Poland). Its maximum depth is 83 m, making it the second deepest lake in Poland.
Większość terenu wygranej destynacji znajduje się na obszarze chronionym Biebrzańskiego Parku Narodowego, który należy do największych obszarów chronionych w Polsce. Walory przyrodnicze tego terenu obejmują płynącą na tym terenie rzekę Biebrze, jej rozlewiska, torfowiska, stanowiące najrozleglejsze tereny bagienne w Polsce.
