July 2024

Common sallow

2024-08-20T10:34:34+02:00

Common sallow The Common sallow (Salix cinerea, Salicaceae family) is a shrub or small tree that rarely exceeds 6 meters in height. The young twigs are covered with a velvety down. The leaves are oval or lanceolate, up to 10 cm long, and dull green; they are covered with hairs, much denser on the underside, giving the plant a grayish coloration. The gray willow blooms in March-April, before the leaves appear. The inflorescences offer generous amounts of nectar, an important resource collected by bees who find their first supplies of the year here. The Common sallow lives on riverbanks, in [...]

Common sallow2024-08-20T10:34:34+02:00

Do you know rosemary?

2024-08-20T10:31:13+02:00

Do you know rosemary? Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an aromatic plant that grows wild along the Mediterranean coasts. It is an evergreen shrub, and its highly fragrant leaves are well known in cooking. The flowers, which are blue-mauve in color, bloom for a long period, starting from February. The rosemary flower, like that of other plants in the Lamiaceae family, is adapted to welcome bees and other pollinating insects . The lower petal, which is larger, acts as a landing pad for the insects. The stamens bend forward to "dust" their visitors with pollen. Bees produce a light-colored honey with [...]

Do you know rosemary?2024-08-20T10:31:13+02:00

Speckled wood. Camouflaged in the shadows

2024-07-17T15:01:25+02:00

Speckled wood Camouflaged in the shadows This butterfly (scientific name Pararge aegeria, family Nymphalidae) prefers habitats such as deciduous forests and humid, shady environments. It has a wingspan of 35-45 mm, but the shape and size vary depending on whether they live in the North or South of Europe. The wings are dark brown with dark orange patterns. Due to its camouflaged colors and fast flight, the Speckled Wood butterfly easily escapes sight among patches of light. It can be found from plains up to about 1000 meters in altitude (occasionally up to 1700 meters). The adults feed on flower [...]

Speckled wood. Camouflaged in the shadows2024-07-17T15:01:25+02:00

European buckthorn. A shrub for butterflies

2024-07-17T14:57:08+02:00

European buckthorn A shrub for butterflies European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is a shrub with a compact and dense crown, featuring twisted branches that end in thorns. It grows in hedgerows and the edges of forests, but also on cliffs and riverbeds, up to 1200 meters. It is a pioneer species, suitable for consolidating rocky and dry lands. The flowers are inconspicuous, very small with 4 green-yellow petals. The fruits are round drupes, arranged in clusters, which turn black when ripe. Buckthorn is a host species for certain butterflies such as the common brimstone (Gonepterix rhamni), which lays its eggs only [...]

European buckthorn. A shrub for butterflies2024-07-17T14:57:08+02:00

Common daisy The daisy of the meadows 🌼

2024-08-02T17:25:24+02:00

Common daisy The daisy of the meadows The common daisy (Bellis perennis, family Asteraceae) is a small flower found almost everywhere, from lowland meadows to high altitudes, and it blooms practically all year round. Despite its apparent fragility, it can withstand temperatures as low as -15°C . Mowed lawns are the ideal habitat for this species, which spreads rapidly to form true clouds of flower heads. The leaves, oval or spoon-shaped, are grouped in a basal rosette. The plant can reach a height of 20-60 cm and belongs to the Asteraceae family. Did you know? Its white and yellow flower [...]

Common daisy The daisy of the meadows 🌼2024-08-02T17:25:24+02:00

June 2024

Colletes hederae Ivy Bee 🐝🌿

2024-08-02T17:25:50+02:00

Colletes hederae Ivy Bee This medium-sized solitary bee belongs to the Colletidae family and was discovered in 1993. Colletidae have very specific dietary preferences and generally collect pollen from one or a few species of plants. For example, Colletes hederae feeds almost exclusively on ivy, so it is observed only in autumn when the plant blooms Colletes hederae nests in cavities in sandy soils. Although it is a solitary bee, it can nest in large numbers with tens of thousands of nests close together. Did you know? Colletidae line the walls of their cells with a transparent membrane... that resembles [...]

Colletes hederae Ivy Bee 🐝🌿2024-08-02T17:25:50+02:00

Narrow-leaved Ash. The Manna Tree

2024-06-20T15:58:59+02:00

Narrow-leaved Ash. The Manna Tree The narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) distinguishes itself from the common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) primarily by its smaller size (reaching up to 20-25 meters in height) and less slender posture. Its habitat is Mediterranean, encompassing southeastern Europe. The flowers , inconspicuous, appear before the leaves and are grouped in panicles. Its fruits are the so-called samaras, composed of a seed wrapped in a kind of wing. The narrow-leaved ash thrives in lowland areas on moist and marshy soils, even enduring occasional water stagnation. Did you know? The narrow-leaved ash can exude a sweetish liquid, "manna" , [...]

Narrow-leaved Ash. The Manna Tree2024-06-20T15:58:59+02:00

Permanent Meadows and Pollinators: An Engaging Visit to the Bastions of Palmanova Amidst History and Biodiversity

2024-06-14T16:19:08+02:00

Permanent Meadows and Pollinators: An Engaging Visit to the Bastions of Palmanova Amidst History and Biodiversity On June 1, 2024, as part of the FAI days for biodiversity, the Biodiversity Service of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, in collaboration with FAI-FVG and the "Amici dei Bastioni di Palmanova", organized a walk titled "Prati stabili e impollinatori". The route wound through the permanent meadows of the Bastions, the Napoleonic and Venetian fortifications, and the first interventions to create flower strips within the lunettes and along one of the moats surrounding the star-shaped city. About twenty people participated in the initiative, showing [...]

Permanent Meadows and Pollinators: An Engaging Visit to the Bastions of Palmanova Amidst History and Biodiversity2024-06-14T16:19:08+02:00

A “LIFE” Recognition for the Fifth Grade Students of San Vito al Torre School

2024-06-14T16:15:58+02:00

A "LIFE" Recognition for the Fifth Grade Students of San Vito al Torre School On May 30, 2024, at the Municipal Hall, the fifth-grade students of San Vito al Torre Primary School (UD) were presented with a copy of the publication "Our Pollinator Friends." A technical officer from the Biodiversity Service then explained the interventions carried out by the Region as part of the Life Project in favor of pollinators. The delivery of the volumes represents recognition from the Region and the Municipality for the initiative to request the establishment of a contest dedicated to "San Vito in Bloom," which [...]

A “LIFE” Recognition for the Fifth Grade Students of San Vito al Torre School2024-06-14T16:15:58+02:00

Greater celandine The plant… of swallows

2024-06-14T16:11:52+02:00

Greater celandine The plant... of swallows The greater celandine (Chelidonium majus, family Papaveraceae) is a perennial plant often found on ruins, along hedgerows, and in cool, shady places. It belongs to the poppy family and also contains toxic alkaloids. The flowers are golden yellow and bloom from May to September; they have four petals arranged in a cross that attract pollinating insects . The plant contains within its green parts a pungent yellow latex that was used to remove calluses and warts. The name celandine derives from the Greek word chelidôn, swallow, perhaps because, according to ancient legends, swallows would [...]

Greater celandine The plant… of swallows2024-06-14T16:11:52+02:00
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