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This Oasis is located between the municipalities of Mazzara del Vallo and Torretta Granitola, less than a mile from the sea, in the Province of Trapani.

These 827 acres hectares have been protected since 1981, for their peculiar natural beauty. Since 1991, the reserve has been included in the natural areas protected by the Regional Plan of Parks and Reserves of Sicily. Its management was then entrusted to the WWF, which protects this area mainly made of slightly brackish ponds of karstic origin.

Around those ponds, there is a dense marsh vegetation which includes Phragmites australis (reed), Bolboschoenus maritimus (sea clubrush), Typha latifolia (bulrush), Carex elata (tussock sedge), and Juncus effusus (soft rush).

Further away, in Bosco del Cantarro – a thick relict forest of holm oaks, there are plant associations with Quercus coccifera (kermes oak), Pistacia lentiscus (mastic trees), and Olea europea sylvestris (olive trees),

The Oasis is divided into two areas, with different types of management. In zone A, about 264-acre wide, organic farming is strongly encouraged. In zone B (563 acres), agricultural-forestry-pastoral activities are allowed; on the other hand, all the following activities are strictly prohibited: hunting, construction of new buildings, excavation of wells, water supply works, mining, installation of greenhouses, damaging flora and fauna, and starting fires related to cultivation activities.

In addition to the scenic beauty, the entire area is considered very important also for migratory birdlife; it is part of “Laghetti di Preola Gorghi Tondi skiing of Mazara and Pantano Leone” (SPA ITA010031) and the SIC ITA010005 (Site of Community Importance).

The presence of three species of eagle should be absolutely mentioned: Clanga pomarina (lesser spotted eagle), Hieraaetus pennatus (booted eagle) and the Aquila fasciata (Bonelli’s eagle) threatened of extinction.
Rich in biodiversity, the local fauna includes a large number of birds of prey, but also several members of the anatidae and ardeidae family.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)