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Busatello Oasis is located in the Municipality of Gazzo Veronese, in the province of Verona.
This wet area has been acknowledged as a Site of Community Importance (SIC IT3210013) and as a Special Protection Area (SPA IT3210013).

Busatello Oasis covers some 200 acres of the few freshwater wetlands left after the reclamation of the “Great Valleys” around Verona. Man has exploited this area for a very long time: the tradition of cutting sedge and cane has prevented the natural evolution of the landscape. This oasis has thus been protected since 1996, thanks to the WWF.

In the swamp, there are large expanses of Phragmites australis (reed), interspersed with Carex elata and Carex riparia (sedges), as well as Typha augustifolia (narrowleaf cattails). Cicuta virosa also grows abundant (it has almost completely disappeared all over Italy), along with Utricularia australis, and Ceratophyllum demersum.

The fauna includes mammals (water shrews, Savi’s pine voles, hares, and coypus), reptiles (viviparous lizards, and pond turtles), and amphibians (Lataste frogs, tree frogs, common toads, newts). Among the birds, there are purple herons, marsh harriers (they nest here as well), Savi’s warblers, penduline tits, bearded reedlings, water rails, and little bitterns. In the winter, Eurasian bitterns, teals, and great cormorants can be seen as well.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)