mercoledì 13 aprile 2016
martedì 29 marzo 2016
MEDITERRANEAN POSIDONIA
The Mediterranean Posidonia, contrary to what
you might think, is a marine plant, not an algae. In fact it consists of a
root, a stem and leaves that are concerned with the process of photosynthesis.
Its stem, called rhizome, can develop both in horizontal and vertical
direction. Nevertheless the leaves develop only from the vertical rhizome.
The continuous
accumulation of Posidonia forms a network of dead rhizomes called “matte”. These “matte” create a barrier that filters the
carbon footprint in the environment thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions in
the planet. The growth of “matte” is very slow,
that’s why you must avoid destroying them, since it is a phenomenon not
replicable on a human scale. In the Mediterranean Sea you can see the phenomenon of the beaching
of the Mediterranean posidonia. This natural process, that is not harmful to
environmental ecology, damages the tourist economy of the place. For this reason the particular composition of posidonia has
been exploited either for removing it from beaches or for using it for
economical purposes. Because of this, a particular type
of compost ,acting as soil conditioner, has been created.The advantages of the
compost are as follows:
- Increase in the porosity of the soil
- Increase in the bioavailability of soil microflora
-
venerdì 25 marzo 2016
SANTA NINFA NATURE RESERVE & LEGAMBIENTE (SICILY): ONE OF OUR LOCAL PARTNERS
The Santa
Ninfa Grotta nature reserve was instituted by the Sicilian Region in 1995 and its management was entrusted to Legambiente Sicilia,
which deals with the tutelage and valorisation of the site, scientific research
and enjoyment of nature, and
environmental education. The territory of the reserve, which is located 2.5
km from the village
of Santa Ninfa, has been
divided into two areas with different peculiarities:
§Zone
A, comprising the hypogean parts of the Grotta;
§Zone
B, comprising the Biviere
Valley corresponding to
the basin feeding the cave.
The Santa
Ninfa nature reserve lies within the bigger Site of Importance to the Community
called the “Complex of the Santa Ninfa and Gibellina Mountains
and Santa Ninfa Grotta”, set up in 1998 for the presence of various natural habitats
and species, in accordance with the EEC 92/43 Habitat directive. The protected
area, which has a surface area of about 140 hectares, lies in
the territory of Santa
Ninfa and neighbouring Gibellina (both places are in Trapani province). At
first sight the territory does not seem to contain any spectacular beauties.
However, a closer look reveals an incredible number of beauty spots. In the
course of time this area has not been greatly threatened by commercial or
industrial settlement, and so it has particular integrity. Consequently there are
micro-habitats of rare beauty and major scientific interest. The natural landscape
is particularly variegated and sinuous for the presence of numerous “dolines”. These
depressions in the territory, which are more or less circular in shape, are
indeed the most evident geomorphological element: these natural concavities are
very close to one another, and trace out scenarios that evoke fascinating
beehive structures. The dolines are a sign of the presence of karst phenomena, linked
to a set of physical-chemical dissolution processes caused by rainwater in soluble
rocks, like chalks and limestones: the rainwater shapes the rock, giving rise
to a fascinating visible landscape, and through cracks and pores infiltrates
the subsoil, contributing to the formation of subterranean cavities. Among the
many caves, the one that gives the name to the reserve is undoubtedly the most spectacular:
getting into the hole in the rock leading into the cavity is a truly exciting experience.
You can visit the cave with the necessary speleological equipment and accompanied
by the local guides.
PLEASE; GO
ON READING
ABOUT ONE OF OUR LOCAL PARTNERS…..
giovedì 24 marzo 2016
lunedì 21 marzo 2016
CASE STUDY: VILLA MARGHERITA
Castelvetrano is an Italian town of about 31,761
inhabitants. It is situated on the South-Western coast of Sicily, in
the province of Trapani.
BIO-GEOGRAPHICAL
STUDY OF THE TERRITORY
The territory
of Castelvetrano,
geologically young, is made up of a monocline that gradually plunges towards
the sea. Its morphology is quite hilly
with small slopes, reaching a maximum of
290 metres
above sea level to the north of the
inhabited area. The territory has plenty of water. The main streams ,that are
typically torrential , are Belice, that gives its name to the Valley, Modione
and Delia. Since the territory is an agricultural area ,
the outskirts of the town are intensively cultivated . For this reason
it is quite difficult to find natural sites with flora and fauna typical of the
Mediterranean insular area. The most common cultivation is the olive tree in its variety called "Nocellara del Belice" used either
as table olive or oil. The latter product
is recognized as a PDO product and
is well-appreciated both in Italy
and abroad. Other agricultural products
are vineyards, vegetables and wheat.
CASE STUDY: VILLA MARGHERITA
The site we
have chosen as a case study for urban recovery is a small garden that overlooks
Regina Margherita Square
(37°67' North ,12°79' East) from which it takes its name, in the city centre
and on the edge of the first historical nucleus.
Regina Margherita Villa occupies a triangular space between two
churches, St. Dominic Church (the oldest of the town ,XVth century) and St John Church
( XVIth century ) . In 1871 trees, palms, rubber plants were planted. In 1885 it was
embellished with an iron railing and in 1887
a sculptor from Palermo,
Mario Rutelli, added a marble group in the centre of a fountain. Unfortunately,
during the Second World War the original , iron railing was partially damaged in
order to make some cannons , and during
the 1968 earthquake that
destroyed the Belice
Valley, the garden was
used as a shantytown for the homeless .
Rutelli sculpture was restored by Professor Benedetto Risalvato and it was put at the entrance to the Selinus
Theatre while a copy of it was located in its original place, these days vandalized
and degraded. Our recovery project includes a botanical study to identify any
problems with the trees ; an intervention on them to remove molds and other
infections; cleaning of flower beds and restoration of the sculpture called "Bambocciata".
Images
referring to the first site visit to Margherita Villa that took place on 26th February, 2016 with the whole staff and with the expert in
Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Doctor Cirabisi.
February, 2016
Today’s sculpture
A history and art lesson about the origins of the Villa and subsequent
vicissitudes by Professor Calcara.
A lesson about the different tree species and flowers.
Date-palm and weed.
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