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Oasi WWF
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| Oasi Ripa Bianca |
In
the countryside around Jesi, half way between the sea and the Gola della
Rossa, you’ll discover a beautiful corner of nature which stretches out
along the river Esino. It’s the natural Oasis of Ripa Bianca (the name
refers to the light coloured earth of clay and sand), a place where man
had originally left his mark on the landscape through past activities but
which nature has been able to bring back to harmony.
Around
the cultivated fields, dotted with oaks, poppies and mulberry trees and
edged with hawthorn hedges and privets, the river vegetation is reclaiming
its own environment, producing reed beds which act as a nesting place for
many species of birds such as kestrels, pheasants, cuckoos, barn owls,
kingfishers, nightingales, chaffinches and various others. In addition,
there are numerous birds which live there all year round (such as the
buzzard and woodpecker) and also those which migrate in winter such as the
heron, the cormorant and the robin.
In
summer, the majestic calanchi are coloured with bright yellow flowers of
wild broom, dominating from high the land which has been damaged over the
years, yet today, with the Oasis’s reservoir nature has been able to
recreate the perfect place to host numerous nests of nitticore (the
species chosen for the symbol of the Oasis), garzette and moorhens.
The
meandering paths, created by the WWF who together with the Environmental
Office of the Comune of Jesi manage the Oasis of Ripa Bianca, allow you to
get that little bit closer to nature. Amongst the hawthorn hedges and
privets you may just come across the various animals that have made their
homes there such as hedgehogs, moles and hares as well as foxes, badgers
and weasels. They are paths which deepen the characteristics of the
various environments present in the reserve, from agriculture to the river
and bird watching.
Besides
being a visitors centre for the local school children and other visitors,
the reserve also hosts exhibitions and didactic materials, using all the
colours which allow you to get to know more about the nature of this
territory in all its forms and to appreciate how much man, helped by a
generous and indulgent nature, has been able to recuperate a place which
has been considerably damaged in the past.
The
Oasis of Ripa Bianca is therefore a magnificent example of how man can go
back in his footsteps and help restore the land back to nature, providing
a better environment for the future for all.
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