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Reserves and natural oasis
Lake of Penne
This lake is 150 ha wide and it is located in the territory of Penne, an
ancient city of the Vestini state, where art and history melt with the beauty of the
surrounding nature.The Lago di Penne is between the Gran Sasso and the Majella. It is an
artificial lake built where the valley of the river Tavo becomes narrower; this is one of
the very few lakes in Abruzzo that offers an ideal environment for water
birds. The
reserve is run by a committee, which involves the borough of Penne, the "Consorzio
della Bonifica Vestina" and the WWF Italy, who delegated the Cogecstre Association to
run it for ordinary issues. Among the facilities of the Reserve has, there is an
Educational Center for the Environment where they organize studying camps for young
students; a natural path with birdwatching facilities, a Center for injured
animals, a
Handcraft shop and a Botanical garden. In the Naturalistic Museum - well equipped to show
the nature and the environment of the lake - a large diorama illustrates the countryside
and the Tavo river during the 50's and two aquariums reproduce the floral environment both
of the river and the 1ake. The Lago di Penne is located on a hilly oak-wood
countryside.
The Pubescent oak, the Austrian pine, the Manna ash and the Field maple are the evidences
of ancient woods.
Among the shrubs it is possible to see the Common Juniper, the Black thorn and the
Privet.
In the herbaceous layer there are Orchids such as the Epipactis helleborine and the
Dactylorhiza maculata, the Primrose, the Hepatica, the Butcher's Broom, the Wild Rubia
Tinctorum and the Asparagus. As a result of the old deforestation there are some glades
where the Horned clover, the Bluebottle and the Sedge grow.
The most common bush is the Broom.Among the shrubs it is possible to see the Common
Juniper, the Black thorn and the Privet. In the herbaceous layer there are Orchids such as
the Epipactis helleborine and the Dactylorhiza maculata, the Primrose, the
Hepatica, the Butcher's Broom, the Wild Rubia Tinctorum and the
Asparagus. As a result of the old
deforestation there are some glades where the Horned clover, the Bluebottle and the Sedge
grow. The most common bush is the Broom.The river-banks are completely covered with Salix
while the lake shores are covered with Poplars.
The in-water vegetation is represented by Green Algae, Water celery and
Cress.
A large fauna lives in the lake and nearby: the Eel, the Brown Trout and
the Rainbow Trout, the Pike, the Perchis, the Carp, the Luciscus aula, the
Chub, the Tench, the Barbel and the Crucian carp. There are 160 different species of
birds; among
them 41 are permanently here, 31 nest here and 88 are migrant species. The
Hedgehog, the
Blind Mole, the Fox, the Badger, the Weasel and the Beech Marten live around the
lake.
Symbol of the reserve is the Night Heron, an heron that arrives in Italy in springtime and
leaves at the end of the Summer to winter in the equatorial Africa. In this reserve it is
organized a center for the reproduction of the Otter. There are guided visits that need a
reservation ahead of time.
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Regional Natural Reserves
Orta
Valley
Wood
of S. Antonio
Sources
of Pescara
Zompo
lo Schioppo
Grottoes
of Pietrasecca
Lake
of Penne
Castel
Cerretto
Voltigno
and Valle D'Angri
Gorges
of Salinello
Lake of Serranella
Foro
Valley
Majella Orientale
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