Updates from Val di Mello

September 2024 – Updates from the Val di Mello forest

In the Val di Mello Nature Reserve, the trees are growing healthily and are already visibly taller than last year, with promising results. The protective measures put in place, such as fencing and shelters, have proven particularly useful in safeguarding the saplings from animals like hares, deer and roe deer, which could eat or damage them.

The project doesn’t stop at reforestation: other land maintenance and management activities are also underway. One example is the containment of Budleja, an invasive species that has colonized part of the stream banks. Autumn will see new interventions, specifically the thinning of some spruce forests located in the lower part of the valley. These forests, having reached a mature stage, require renewal to encourage the growth of new trees and improve local biodiversity. Thinning is a management practice that, when carried out correctly, allows the forest to regenerate, creating space for young plants to grow and increasing the ecosystem’s overall resilience to adverse natural events.

Watch the update video