(photo by: E. Vettorazzo)
The biotope consists of some perennial stretches of water, and of a few more stretches of water drying up during the summer, situated on the left bank of torrent Caorame, in Val di Canzoi, in locality Orsera. The small lakes are situated in a valuable landscape context.
Municipality/ies: Cesiomaggiore
Access: From Val di Canzoi, you can reach from the town of Soranzen (Cesiomaggiore)
Difficulty reaching and moving about in the area: none. The biotope is accessible by everyone in a few minutes (15-20) walk along an easy dirt road from the car park in locality Orsera.
Floristic-vegetation features
This area is not characterized by particular floristic features. However, the meadows are still regularly cut and the small marshy depressions (Caltha palustris with some orchids blooming in spring) offer a valuable vegetation setting in harmony with the surrounding environment characterized by coppice small woods, cliffs and, above all, small creeks that, wandering towards the gravelly shore of Caorame, change the conditions of the water and detritus supply at a local level and give origin to a mosaic of populations with is not easy to define.
Wildlife features
The small lakes are characterized by the presence of a very rich community of amphibians. As a matter of fact, this is one of the very rare wetland biotopes where it is possible to find all together the common toad, the edible frog, the common frog, the agile frog, the tree frog, the yellow-bellied toad, and three newts (alpine newt, crested newt, smooth newt). The reptiles include the grass snake, and birds include the Gray Heron.
Further features
In Valle di Canzoi there are several “calchère” (lime kilns), one of which not far from the biotope.
- Recommended time of year: spring (from March) and summer.
- Equipment: no particular equipment is required. It is recommended to bring camera.
Notes: Valle di Canzoi, also outside the current perimeter of the Park, is characterized by the presence of several small biotopes of great naturalistic interest. In particular, all the wetland biotopes deserve attention, since they are intrinsically fragile and they offer an ideal habitat to species that would otherwise disappear, because they are linked to the aquatic environment. This is true above all for the animal species, but also for the various plant specie.
Municipality: Cesiomaggiore (BL)