Adopt a tree and protect Parco Oglio Sud

The Oglio Sud Regional Park extends along the banks of the Oglio River, between the provinces of Cremona and Mantua. It is a fragile and vulnerable area where forests, cultivated fields, and wetlands coexist but face environmental pressures such as habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and overall degradation of natural settings.

To combat these challenges, WOWnature collaborates with the Park to carry out targeted measures that include reforestation, enhancement of existing forests, and wetland redevelopment.

We have begun planting over 8, 8,000 native trees and shrubs in farmland and along riverbanks to expand and reconnect existing woodlands. Specifically, we are restoring riparian forests—forests that grow along watercourses—and creating new hedges and tree rows to strengthen ecological corridors that link separate habitats, enabling animals to move freely across the landscape. The species selected are typical of riverine forests and well adapted to the local terrain.

Furthermore, we intervene in existing forests, which are often degraded or overrun by invasive species, by thinning out vegetation, removing alien plants, and replanting with native species. These efforts aim to improve forest quality and encourage natural vegetation regeneration, making ecosystems more resilient to climate change and extreme weather.

A particularly significant initiative involves the wetland of Canneto sull’ Oglio, a typical aquatic zone that has gradually lost its ecological functions due to water scarcity and sediment accumulation. Here, we are reshaping the landscape and promoting natural water pooling to create new habitats suitable for amphibians and birds.

The ultimate aim is to restore water flow and vitality to this valuable environment, which is vital for the survival of rare, endemic amphibians like Lataste’ s frog, a protected species deemed a priority by the European Union, living exclusively in pristine wetlands.

This project is co-financed by the “Biodiversity and Climate” (BioClima) initiative of the Lombardy Region and supported by Fondazione Cariplo. BioClima is part of the Lombardy Plan and the LIFE GESTIRE 2020 project, aimed at creating public-private funding models to catalyse investments in biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation in Lombardy’s forests and protected areas.