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Between the Ticino national park and the city of Milan, surrounded by intense urbanization, Vanzago Oasis is managed by the WWF and used to be hunting reserve in a long gone past.
From 1979 to 2003, it was awarded several recognitions and even included in the 176 Sites of Community Importance (S.I.C.). The oasis features a central, round structure, protected by walls and intended as a safe haven to animals and plants. The adjacent area, delimited by metallic lattice, acts as a buffer area, while the outermost one is freely accessible by bicycle or on foot.

It usually takes 100 minutes to visit the oasis, always accompanied by the official the guides who offer fully customizable tours. Any of the latter always start from the visitor centre and continue on a ring route along the most important ecosystems in the oasis. Visitors can stop by the
agricultural-zootechnical area, explore some organic farming facilities and discover the breeding of domestic fauna threatened by extinction.
The CRAS centre, the wild animal recovery facility, is not open to the public.

FLORA
Many trees grow in the oasis like, Quercur robur, Quercus petraea, Ulmus laevis, Ulmus minor, Fraxinus excelsior, Fraxinus angustifolia, Castanea spp, Acer spp, and Alnus glutinosa.
Near the eutrophic ponds there are several specimens of Magnopotamion spp, Hydrocharition spp, Typha latifolia, and Salix alba.

Particularly abundant is Robina psuedoacia, weed of American origin, which has been included in a replacement program with native plants. The undergrowth features Sambucus nigra, Prunus spp, holly (Ilex aquifolium), common hawthorn (Crataegus oxyachantha), and hundreds of herbaceous species like the wondrous lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), spectacularly blooming in May.

FAUNA
Animal species include hares, wild rabbits, badgers, and roe deers (a true icon of this oasis). In the thick of the woods, visitors can catch a glimpse of edible and hazel dormice. On the other hand, birds of prey like herons, ducks, reptiles, the rare pond turtle, insects and various fish are a much more common encounter.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)