Anse Vallive of Porto – Bacino di Bando
Timetable
From Saturday, April 4th to Sunday, October 31st : Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Prices
Excursions, either guided or not, along marked trails
The Anse at Porto, established as a nature reserve in 1971, comprises 52 hectares of strips of the land remaining in the Valli del Mezzano.
This area is a veritable paradise for nature lovers: you can observe the plants and animals from hides for birdwatching and photography, and the entire area is equipped with pathways around the basins: the internal route is approximately 3 km in length and it takes an hour and a half on foot or an hour by bike.
Moreover, the Anse is the site of an important project to reintroduce the white stork, to which the House of the Stork visitor centre is dedicated.
The habitat is rather delicate, owing to the great amount of rare and nesting species, such as Marsh Harriers, Ferrouginous Ducks. Among the other birds there are Reed Warblers, Bearded Tits, Spoonvilles, Little Bitterns, Great Crested Grebes, Shovelers, Pochards, Lapwings, Grey Herons, Black-winged Stilts. The vegetation includes Reeds, Cattails, Tamarisks.
The biodiversity of the site
The wild goose and the white stork are the undisputed stars of this oasis in the Ferrara area, a wetland of extraordinary natural value for the protection of numerous animal and plant species. A paradise of over 52 hectares immersed in the ancient Mezzano Lagoons, consisting of central expanse of water and three smaller ones. Walking or cycling around the lake, you can observe a wide variety of animal and plant species. Did you know that today more than 300 pairs of wild geese and four pairs of white storks nest in the Oasis? Every corner and glimpse of the Reserve allows you to observe many types of birds. Herons, egrets and night herons hide among the reeds, while various species of ducks such as teals, garganeys and pintails swim in the waters of the ponds alongside grebes and wild geese. The waters of the wet meadow are crowded with waders, black-winged stilts and spoonbills, while splendid birds of prey circle in the sky. It is not uncommon to encounter the beautiful and colourful kingfisher, and the most attentive eyes will not fail to notice the many passerines that live in the rich vegetation of the Oasis.
In addition, for several years now, in addition to the two important wildlife reintroduction projects involving wild geese and white storks, which have been launched with a number of aviaries for their reproduction, a nesting tower has been built for the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), a small diurnal bird of prey that is a conservation priority at European level, which is one of the specific objectives of the transnational Life Falkon project, to which the municipality of Portomaggiore has adhered. In addition to the TECLA Association, the project partners are ISPRA - Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, the University of Milan (UMIL) and the Emilia Romagna Ornithologists Association - Ferrara Section.
Special recognition: Le Anse Vallive di Porto is recognised as a 'Service and consultancy centre for autonomous educational institutions in Emilia Romagna for the 2022/2023 school year by decision no. 10491 of 08.06.2022 of the Head of the Financial Instruments Development, Regulation and Accreditation of the Emilia-Romagna Region, as per DGR no. 2185/2010'.
How to get there
Rules and advice for visitors
