VALLECAMONICA: A NETWORK OF PROTECTED AREAS WELL KNOWN ALL OVER EUROPE The collection and presentation of the data regarding the protection of nature and the environment in the Vallecamonica is surprising. Approximately 55% of the valley’s territory is a “protected area” with rules and regulations , laws for nature conservation and sustainability , landscape and the arts. The valley is developing in the area of conservation and landscape promotion. In Val Grigna , ERSAF together with the Parco dellìAdamello, local government sponsored by CAI (Club Alpino Italiano) and other associations are planning to expand the so-called “vast area” over the Val Grigna, which is already a protected area, in order to find new ways for production and promoting the natural heritage. Local authorities in Edolo are promoting a new local park (PLIS) along the river Ogliolo. All these important initiatives in the Vallecamonica focus on local cultural and political associations and private groups. Alot of work has been done in the past thirty years on managerial methods which today are part of the valley’s heritage Awareness of this heritage and its value is the first step towards the next target. which is to organize the “system” to take initiatives to improve economic devlopment and the standard of life of the people who live there. .Loans from the Lombardy Region and Cariplo have made it possible to plan for a new and more ambitious future. This is how the Comunità Montana in the Valcamonica and Parco dell’Adamello has begun its operations on the whole territory, regarding it as an integration of the heritage of nature and culture, not only from a political, geographical and territorial point of view.. Nowadays the Valley Camonica can present itself for its cultural and historical heritage but this heritage must be recognized, valorized and proposed systematically . The three elements: nature, culture, identity ( tradition, wine and food and superb hospitality – from Ponte di Legno to Boario Terme) are the driving forces behind a renewed sense of pride within our communities and the will to show the world the excellence of our Valley. The Rete Natura di Vallecamonica” was founded on these beliefs;, wanting to be the force behind the creation of groups such as “Cultural District” and “ Gusti della Vallecamonica”;. Protected areas of Valle Camonica Sq km Protected area e surface Acres Administration Comunita' Parco Regionale Montana di 1 Adamello 509.35 50,935.00 Valle Camonica Consorzio del Parco Nazionale dello Parco Nazionale 2 Stelvio 10.2,50 10,250.00 dello Stelvio Riserva Naturale Regionale e SIC Valli di Comune di 3 S.Antonio* 41.68 4,168.00 Corteno Golgi Comune Angolo 4 PLIS del Lago Moro 4,.2 7 426.59 Terme Riserva Regionale Consorzio incisioni rupestri Ceto Incisioni 5 Cimbergo e Paspardo 2.90 290.00 Rupestri Comune di Cividate 6 PLIS Barberino 1.18 118.46 Camuno 7 Foresta Val Grigna 21.58 2,158.00 Ersaf Foreste Legnoli (Ono 8 S.Pietro) 3.48 347.55 Ersaf Boschi del Giovetto di 9 Paline 2.96 296.00 Ersaf Foresta della Val di 10 Scalve (Angolo Terme) 6.71 671.00 Ersaf Da Monte Belvedere a Province Brescia 11 Vallorda - SIC 3.59 359.00 e Sondrio Corridoio ecologico del 12 Fiume Oglio N.d. N.d. 700,20 70,019.60 Riserva Naturale Valli di * S.Antonio 2..3 9 239.00 55 % of the territory in the Valcamonica is PROTECTED! STELVIO NATIONAL PARK The Stelvio National Park was founded in 1935 and was one of the first national parks in Italy. The park area has increased to the current 130.000 hectares (60.000 of which are in the Lombardy region) . The lateral valleys on the right of the Upper Vallecamonica are within the park’s territory . It is a traditional mountain park which extends for 1000 metres. above sea level and three quarters of its territory is over 2000 metres above sea- level. The highest peak is Mount Ortles(3,500 metres). Woods give way to meadows, higher,up to the Macereti, , snow and permanent ice. There is abundant flora and includes different endemic species: among which is the primrose of the Daone Valley. The fauna is also very varied: deer , steinbock the big birds of prey (the golden eagle and the lammergeyer), the groundhog, are only some of the most characteristic animals that you can see in the Park. Traditional costumes and typical architecture are also important. Il Parco Naturale e Regionale dell’ Adamello The Parco of Adamello is at the centre of the Alpine chain, in the Retiche Alps, in the north-east of the province of Brescia. Its extends from Passo del Tonale to Crocedomini. This park is in an important position,.It acts as a ridge between two neighbouring parks: in the east there is the ParcoAdamello-Brenta and to the north the Parco dello Stelvio, close to the Engadine Valley in Switzerland. The Adamello mountain group contains Italy’s largest glacier and was also a battleground in the World War Regional nature reserve and the Valle di Sant’Antonio The nature reserve of Sant’. Antonio was set up in Lombardy in 1983 . It is at the eastern end of the Orobic Alp. The reserve protects two beautiful twin valleys, Val Brandet and Valle di Campovecchio which join up with Sant’.Antonio between two streams. The two valleys, Brandet and Campovecchio are crossed by many pathways and are a true paradise for nature lovers. The territory is still well preserved, with little wooden bridges and huts similar Walser homes, built with fir beams worked with an interlocking system known as “blockbau”. The high-mountain landscape is enhanced by a charming lake. The reserve is a territory with the “Val Belviso-Barbellino” wildlife area t with chamois, marmots, squirrels, hares, partridges, and golden eagles. The flora is typical of crystalline acid rock areas. The natural reserve extends along the two valleys of Brandet and Campovecchio and is a part of the largest protected area in the Sant’Antonio zone. Unesco World Heritage site : Lago di Moro(Lake Moro) Lago di Moro is a park in the boroughs of Angolo Terme and Darfo Boario Terme. The main attraction is the lake , a little gem in the lower Valle Camonica. The landscape is dominated by meadows, forests, chestnut trees , vineyards and olive groves. The Park is known for its rock engravings. In places such as the Parco del Luine which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979 , and for its archaeology :Corni Freschi and Monticolo. The engraved rocks are scattered everywhere : some of them illustrate prehistoric events and others events in the Christian period. The Lake Moro’s basin is at an altitude of 381 metres , it’s small and 42,2 metresdeep. Its reddish brown quartz cliffs are steep and with a deep drop and give a dark colour to the water. The water is cold and and can freeze in the winter. Natural reserve of Rock Engravings Ceto-Cimbergo-Paspardo The natural reserve of “ Rock Engravings Ceto-Cimbergo-Paspardo” is in the mid- Valcamonica. It was set up by the Regione Lombardia (Lombardy region)in 1983 at the request of the boroughs of Ceto, Cimbergo and Paspardo and the Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici. Their aim was to protect a large area of historical stones with pre-historical rock engravings, together with a set of important archeological, geo-morphological and ethnographical elements related to the evolution of the Alpine environment and human adaptation . Pre-historical castles surrounded by old rural paths, and isolated, abandoned, agricultural terracing where it is still possible to identify traces of past cultivation, roads connecting the bottom of the valley to the high mountains .However, it is mainly the rock engravings left by prehistoric peoples that characterize the reserve: more than 450 engravings have been identified so far and thousands of signs, symbols, figures and a crucial iconography have been found. They were drawn by the ancient prehistoric population who lived here and they are documentaries of their thoughts and their daily life over the past 10,000 years. Parco del Barberino It is a local park of great interest managed by the borough of Cividate Camuno. The Parco del Barberino is situated to the south and east of the small town of Cividate Camuno, on the slopes the Valcamonica, between the river Oglio and the Grigna torrent. The park was set up only recently: is crossed by a system of restored paths and fitness trails They are well-maintained and walks and are ideal for anyone who want to spend their free-time peacefully, in contact with nature. An “Educational trail” has also been created , to enhance the cultural and environmental importance of the park , which contains an area of archaeological ruins and finds, dating from the Roman times. Bosco del Giovetto Nature Reserve The protection and study of Rufa ant were the main reasons for the creation of the nature reserve in the “Giovetto” woods, since the ant cannot survive outside its natural environment. The Rufa ant is present in all the coniferous alpine forests on the eastern edge of the Orobic Alps . This area has a special connection with this ant. The area has always been full of large ant nests, and since the ant is strong predator of other insects ,it contributes to maintaining a healthy balance in the forests it inhabits. The protected area covers 650 hectares between 1000 and 1950 metres above sea level, straddling the southern ridge of the Pizzo Camino that divides the Valle di Scalve from the Val Camonica .