Special Natural Reserve of Fondotoce
Lake of Mergozzo, one of the less polluted lakes in ltaly, the 300 milions years old Mount Orfano, the final section of the Toce river and, on the north, the last ramifications of the National Park of Val Grande, whose exceptional environmental value is famous all over Europe, form the context of the small Special Natural Reserve of Fondotoce.
Nature
This Reserve, with an extent of 300 hectares, has been established mainly for the protection of one of the last strips of cane fields along the westem shore of Lake Maggiore. It is characterised by a great extension (about thirty hectares) of marsh cane together with a floristic rarity: the Trapa natans var. verbanensis, endemic water chestnut, present especially along the channel that joins the lakes of Mergozzo and Maggiore.
Between the cane field and the picturesque town of Feriolo (hamlet of Baveno), the camping sites have occupied nearly all the shore of Lake Maggiore. Except for thin willow-type sheltering vegetation strips enriched by floristic variety and far an expanse of the Stronetta torrent, which is part of the southern border of the Reserve, man has greatly intervened in this environment.
This situation allows to perceive the contrast existing between the speculative utilisation of the territory and its naturalistic valences. This contrast is even greater if we consider that the area is located at the beginning of Val d'Ossola, along one of the main migration ways, and it is fit for the nesting of several kinds of birds, more strictly connected to that special kind of habitat.
In order to study habits and carachteristic of birds during migrations we have started a monitoring project at Centro Studi sulle Migrazioni.
Entrances
By car, the Reserve can be reached from the A26 motorway Voltri-Sempione (Gravellona Toce or Verbania exits) as well
as from the national road n. 33 (Statale del Sempione), by deviating towards Verbania at Feriolo.
For detailed info please visit: www2.autostrade.it/
By public transport, you can reach the Reserve from the railway station of Verbania Fondotoce (www.trenitalia.it)
Coming from the lake you will found the port of the navigation lines of Lake Maggiore at Verbania. (www.navigazionelaghi.it)
Office and informations
Via Canale 48, Fondotoce (Verbania)
tel/fax ++39 +323 496.596
fondotoce@tiscalinet.it
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Last updated February 20th, 2004
Further informations: info@parchilagomaggiore.it