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The Orecchiella park is a natural area protected by the State Forestry Corps, located in the Garfagnana territories, in the province of Lucca -in the north-western corner of Tuscany. The territory consists of a plateau, rich in streams and springs, dominated by the limestone massif of the Pania di Corfino (5.259 ft). It features the typical texture of the Apuan Alps and the Apennines, made of red sedimentary rocks and sandstone. On the slopes of Corfino, a Botanical Garden was created on a large limestone area, with the aim of preserving endangered plant species and reproducing the vegetation of some typical local environments.

FLORA

The flora is particularly variegated, partly typical of high altitude environments and partly Mediterranean. The beech woods grow between 3.937 ft above sea level and the upper limit of the vegetation (5.249-5.577 ft). At lower, the most common trees are chestnuts, but there are also common hazels (Corylus avellana), manna ashes (Fraxinus ornus), common laburnums (Laburnum anagyroides), hornbeams (Carpinus betulus), Sycamore maples (Acer pseudoplatanus), whitebeams (Sorbus aria), and holm oaks (Quercus ilex), as well as several conifers, such as the Norway spruce (Picea abies), the Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and the Austrian pine (Pinus nigra).
The presence of blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), common juniper (Juniperus communis), cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), and rowans (Sorbus aucuparia) is, instead, very important for feeding numerous wild animals. Among the vegetation, there are also heaths of blueberries and among the shrubs there are specimens of Rosa canina, daphnes, common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), and the rare mahaleb cherry (Prunus Mahaleb). The herbaceous vegetation – peonies, red rhododendrons and silver geraniums (Geranium argenteum) – is also rich in precious species.

FAUNA

There are over 120 bird species, 85 of which of the nesting type, including diurnal birds of prey (kestrels, buzzards, sparrow hawks, and golden eagles), and nocturnal ones (owls, tawny owls, long-eared owls, and eagle owls). During the seasonal migrations, there are peregrine falcons, lanner falcons, and species that stop here for reproduction, such as quails and nightjars.

The presence of deers, roe deers, wild boars, and mouflons is of great importance within the park. Among the carnivores, there are martens, stone martens, weasels, badgers, foxes, and even wolves. Inside the park, there are several enclosures created for scientific purposes where, in addition to deers and mouflons, black grouses and some specimens of brown bears can be observed.

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