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This natural area is in the municipalities of Campi di Bisenzio in Florence and is part of the Site of Community Importance (SIC IT5140011) as well as a Special Protection Area (SPA IT5140011).
On this surface of 160 acres (86 owned by the Municipality and 74 part of a private estate to be used as a park), there’s the original landscape of the plains around Florence. The area includes 5 lakes (Calvana, Morello, Calice, Acqualunga, and Focognano) and represents an important resting place for birds – there are, in fact, many during each season, thus offering excellent birdwatching opportunities to enthusiasts and occasional visitors.
Those ponds are the ideal microenvironments for amphibians as well and are of both of natural and artificial origin; the natural part is what remains of the old marshes once widespread on the plain of Florence-Prato-Pistoia; the artificial part was modelled on what was left after the excavations to build nearby infrastructures (A1 and A11 motorways, the railway, etc.) and to cover Case Passerini landfill.

As already mentioned, many birds can be seen in this area, including grey herons, coots, grebes and black-winged stilts. There are also amphibious species, such as tree frog, the crested newt, and the speckled newt.

The local flora is mainly made of Phragmites australis (common reed), Juncus effusus (soft rush), Iris pseudacorus L. (yellow iris), Populus spp. trees (poplar), and Salix spp. (willow).

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)