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Built in 1991, the Alpine Botanical Garden dedicated to Bruno Peyronel, a botanist and a naturalist from Val Pellice, is aimed at protecting the local alpine flora.
This garden is located in the upper Val Pellice, at Colle Barant (Municipality of Bobbio Pellice), at 7.513 ft above sea level; the garden is also part of the Barant wildlife protection oasis.
It can be reached on foot (ca. one and a half hour-walk) from Barbara Refuge (Comba dei Carbonieri) and from the Jervis Refuge (Conca del Prà).

This is an area of some acres of particular botanical interest; in addition to protecting and enhancing the local flora, the garden has a strong instructional vocation about the ecological features of high mountain environments and the native spontaneous plants.

There are numerous plant species, of which more than 300 have been already catalogued. The different species are marked with tags and it is also possible to take advantage of special information cards.

Given the particular geological history of the area, it is possible to observe several different environments including pastures (Nardus stricta, Carex sempervirens and Festuca violacea), lakeshores, a wetland (which hosts the Gentiana rostanii), subalpine shrubs, a xeric vegetation patch and several other specific spots.

As for the local fauna, ibex and wolves have recently repopulated the area.

The garden also features a meteorological station that can be viewed at: http://webgis.arpa.piemonte.it/webmeteo/meteo.php?CODTOT=001026900

A webcam has been installed at the Barant refuge:
http://rifugipiemonte.cmstino.com/barant.jpg

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)