Darzo

The small protected area is occupied almost entirely by a wooded area, which divides the river course from the state road. Within it, elements typical of riparian areas (poplars, alders and willows) coexist with non-native tree species,robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia) in particular.

The area has recently been the subject of an environmental restoration project by the Rete di Riserve Valle del Chiese (Chiese Valley Network of Reserves), which involved an area subject to particular degradation, due to the use of an adjacent sector as a barite (barium sulphate) storage/processing area by the Società Mineraria Baritina.

In the north-eastern part of the site, restoration work led to the creation of a small pond, fed by a secondary branch of the River Chiese. The watchtower that stands on its banks allows one to discreetly observe the many aquatic birds that find a quiet place to rest here.

The small wetland area can be visited from the car park along the state road, opposite the service station just above Darzo.
Walking along the path, it is possible to penetrate into the thicket of trees. Here, the curious shape of some of them might attract attention... from the dead trunks of willows that have fallen to the ground, real trees rise up, robust and vital: individuals grown from an apparently dead trunk, a symbol of the great regenerative capacity of this species.