At Pallavicino Park, a refuge for marsh tortoises

Terre Borromeo continues its commitment to the protection of biodiversity through the collaboration between Parco Pallavicino and Centro Emys Piemonte, active since 2018 and renewed year after year. This partnership brings together scientific expertise and an educational vocation, turning the park overlooking Lake Maggiore into an open-air natural centre and pursuing with dedication the mission of conserving native species.

At the heart of the project with Centro Emys Piemonte is the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis, a species protected at EU level and increasingly rare in the wetland environments of Northern Italy. Some specimens born at Centro Emys Piemonte are entrusted to Parco Pallavicino, where they grow safely in terrariums and suitable tanks until they reach an age that is less risky for release into the wild.

Within the park’s protected areas, the turtles can complete the most delicate stages of growth and, after their first years of life, are released in suitable restored areas through habitat improvements carried out by Centro Emys Piemonte. At present, one individual is at the Park and is spending the winter warm in a terrarium in the education classroom, as it has lagged behind in growth.

In June 2022, thirteen turtles under the programme were released into a wetland area created by the Centre within an organic farm in Rovasenda (VC). The operation, which also involved scientific bodies and local organisations committed to habitat protection, showed how a virtuous coexistence between biodiversity and human activities is possible.

“Projects like this are a drop in the ocean, but they can provide real and tangible support for biodiversity,” highlights Tommaso Calligarich, biologist at Parco Pallavicino and project lead, stressing how the work with Emys orbicularis also contributes to raising public awareness about the protection of lesser-known species that are nonetheless crucial to local biodiversity. The experience with pond turtles confirms the role of Parco Pallavicino as a bridge between scientific research, environmental education and experiential visits for schools. The terrariums are in fact included in educational programmes specifically designed by the park and are not part of the general visitor route, to ensure the animals’ maximum tranquillity.

The collaboration with Centro Emys Piemonte is set to continue with new conservation and wildlife-protection projects, in line with Terre Borromeo’s growing focus on environmental sustainability. Alongside animal care and habitat management activities, Parco Pallavicino—home to numerous animal species—will continue to offer educational initiatives for families, schools and enthusiasts, bringing to life the value of native species and the ecosystems that host them, and guiding visitors through the wonders nature offers us. One example is the rescue of wild animals in the Verbano Cusio Ossola area, which the park’s specialists care for when immediate release is not possible or when a period of pre-release functional rehabilitation is needed. Among the most recent cases are the recovery of a young goshawk found in difficulty and hosted at Parco Pallavicino until it was once again able to take flight, and that of a griffon vulture, also found in difficulty and hosted in the park’s flight tunnel until it was once again able to take off for a magnificent flight from Alpe Lusentino. Through projects like this, Terre Borromeo renews every day its choice to safeguard nature and to share its beauty with those who wish to discover it up close.