Shatsk National Natural Park (Ukrainian: Шацький національний природний парк) is a national park of Ukraine which was established in 1983 and aimed to preserve, reconstitute and to use effectively Volyn Polissia natural complexes and objects of special environmental, recreational, educational and aesthetic value.

[citation needed] As long as the main European watershed goes through Shatsk Region, surplus water from them periodically replenishes basins of the Baltic and the Black seas via the Bug and the Vistula, the Prypiat and the Dnieper rivers accordingly.

According to the Ramsar Water and Moor Protection agreement, the Shats'k lakes' lands which are situated between the Prypiat and the western Bug are considered to be one of the most important areas in Ukraine.

In this territory, migrating birds can find places for their reproduction as well as food and rest on their way from the north to warmer countries.

Svitiaz Lake is of karst origin; it was formed due to progradation of chalk rocks and subsequent huge cenotes.

Water in Svitiaz is extremely transparent (in sunny weather a submerged white circle is visible to a depth of 8 m), clean and soft.

Along the lakeside, especially in the area of the tract "Hriada" and hotel "Shatski Lakes", Svitiaz is mostly shallow and on sunny days warms up quickly.

On a clean sandy bottom one can go a half or even two hundred meters until the water reaches the chest of an adult man.

Fauna is represented by typical woodlands species: elk, wild boar, roe deer, rabbits, squirrels.

Three major faunal types are represented within Shatsk National Park: forest, wetland and synanthropic.

Most characteristic representatives of a forestry complex are: De Selys Longchamps, Apodemus sylvaticus L., Dryomys nitedula Pall.

and C. leucodon Herman, Vespertilio serotinus Schreb., Mustela putorius L., Martes martes L., Mustela erminea L., Lepus europaeus Pallas, Vulpes vulpes L., Sus scrofa L., Capreolus capreolus L., Alces alces L.; birds – Columba palumbus L., Streptopelia turtur L., Accipiter gentilis L. and A. nisus L., Buteo buteo L., Strix aluco L. and Asio otus L., Cuculus canorus L., Caprimulgus europaeus L., Upupa epops L., Jynx torquilla L., Dryocopus martius L., Dendrocopus major L., Dendrocopos medius L. and D. minor L., Lullula arborea L., Anthus trivialis L., Troglodytes troglodytes L., Erithacus rubecula L., Luscinia luscinia L., Oenanthe oenanthe L., Turdus merula L., T. philomeios- L. and T. pilaris L., Sylvia curruca L., Phylloscopus trochilus L., Ph.

The wet-land complex (lakes’ waters, marshes, wet meadows) contains approximately of one-third of all the Park warm-blooded (about 30 mammals species and 60 birds).

The most characteristic representatives are: mammals – mole, common shrew, white-toothed shrew, ermine, vole (Arvicola terrestris L.) and Microtus agrestis L.; Podiceps cristatus L., Ardea cinerea L., Cygnus olor Gm., Anas platyrhynchos L., A. querquedula L, Aythia fuligula L., Porzana porzana L., P. parva Scop., Rallus H L., Fulica atra L., V. vanellus L., Tringa totanus L., G. gallinago L., Scolopax rusticola L., L. Limosa L., Larus ridibundus L., Sterna hirundo L. and Chlidonias nigra L., Circus aeruginosus L., Motacilla alba L. and M. flava L., Anthus pratensis L., R. riparia L., Lanius excubitor L., Locustella fluviatilis Wolf., Acrocephalus schoenodaenus L., A. palustris Bechst., A. scirpaceus Herrn.

The most characteristic representatives are: Mus musculus L. and Apode- mus agrarius Pall., Microtus arval- is Pall., Rattus norvegicus Berktnhout, Erinaceus eiiropaeus L., Talpa europaea L., Plecotus aiiritus L., Muscardinus avellanarius L. and Gris gris L., Lepus europaeus Pall., Mustela nivalis L., Mustela putorius L., Martes foina (Erxleben); birds – P. perdix L., C. ciconia L., Columba livia Gm., Streptopelia decaocto Friv., Athene noctua Scop., Strix aluco L., A. apus, Alauda arvensis L., Motacilla alba L., swallows: Hirimdo rustica L. and Delichon urbica L., Luscinia luscinia L., Phoenicurus ochruros Gm., thrushes: Turdus merula L. and Turdus philomelos Brehm, warblers: Sylvia borin Bodd.

chloris L., C. carduelis L., linnet, sparrows: Passer domesticus L. and P. montanus L., Sturnus vulgaris L., magpie, rook (Corvus frugilegus L.), jackdaw (C. monedula L.) and others.

In order to perform its tasks and in accordance with the general plan and the Ukrainian Law "About the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine", the park's territory is divided into four functional zones.

The distinguished zones are the following: On the territory of the SNNP different scientific investigations are conducted to prevent any possible deterioration of the ecological situation in the Shats'k lakes district.

The Green Book of Ukraine includes 14 plant communities among them rare for Ukraine pine forests with undergrowth of juniper communities featuring spruce, located on the southern edge of the range, as well as rare for Polissia leucobryum pine forest, bearberry pinery, thorny ground-pinery, arctic dwarf birch grouping and others.