Biccari offers an extensive mountain area characterized by beautiful green landscape with extensive woods and pastures, various fauna, flourishing vegetation, a great natural little lake with streams and waterways. We are talking about the Pescara Lake Natural Area, composed by “il Bosco della Cerasa”, “il Boschetto”, “Vado del Tufo” and “Orto di Zolfo” area, the Forest Nursery, “il Lago Pescara”, the “Organo” and “Tufo” waterways, and finally the peaks of “Toppo Pescara”, “Sidone Mountain” and the “Cornacchia Mountain”, the tallest mountain in Puglia, 1151 meters high. The area extends for about 310 hectares and provides equipped picnic areas, places of wildlife and birdwatching observation and rest areas.
The woods have many tree species: deciduous hardwood with a predominance of oak trees as Downy oak and Turkey oak, Sycamore Maple, Opal Maple, Hornbeam, Ash, Hazel tree, Wych Elm, Privet, Mountain Ash, Cherry tree, Rock-rose and a few examples of beech. In the last years the area was subjected to a reforestation with different foreign species (black pine, Greek spruce, Atlantic cedar and other conifers). The undergrowth is very rich, with Hawthorn, Rosehip, Bramble, Holly, Butcher’s broom, Dogwood, Asparagus and Blackthorn. From a floristic point of view, the Orchidaceae family essences are really interesting, for example the Orchis type (Dactilorhyza, Seraptas, Ophrys, Epipactis, Limodorum) and the wild lily characterized by an orange flowering.
Currently, there are meadows of Forget-me-nots, Primrose, Cyclamen, Wild garlic, Buttercup, Veronica, Snowdrop, Lily of the valley, Violet, Mistletoe, Thistles of different types. Moreover, a lot of tourists are attracted by the different kind of truffles of the area.
The fauna of the area includes specimens of Appennine wolf, besides wild boars, foxes, skunks, tacks, weasels, dormouse, and many species of birds such as little hawks (Gheppo, Smeriglio, Lodolaio, Sparviere) and big hawks (Poiana and Astore). Moreover, it is possible to admire the short-toad eagle or young golden eagles coming from the Matese area. We can mention the presence of the brown kite, red kite, barn owl, long-eared owl, tawny owl, owl and scopes owl. There is also a wide variety of reptiles and an interesting family of amphibians and insects.
Pescara Lake (the name probably comes from the Italian “peschiera”, in English “fishpond”, referring to the good quality of fishing) offers a rich and interesting flora and fauna framework, which makes it an uncommon and unique biotype. It is a little natural lake basin situated north-east of Cornacchia Mountain, on the slopes of Toppo Pescara, 900 meters above sea level. It is supplied by sources present under the lake and streams formed after rainfalls and melting snow. We can see, on its surface, floating leaves (the so called “Lingue d’acqua”), Water lilies and sparse white flowers of watery buttercup. Besides different fish species (carps, barbels and bleaks), there are also frogs, salamanders and water snakes.
In this area there are trails of different kinds, routes for beginners and experts according to different levels of difficulty.
Low difficulty. Path no.1 Boschetto-Lago (10 min.) on paved road and Path no.6 Lago-Parcheggio Cappelle (30 min.) on unpaved road.
Medium difficulty on unpaved road. Path no.2 Boschetto-Masseria Bellone (45 min.), Path no.3 Lago Pescara-Monte Sidone (30 min.), Path no.4 Lago Pescara-Panoramic area Monte Sidone (1010 meters above sea level), Path no.5 Panoramic area Monte Sidone-Rifugio (so called shelter) Monte Cornacchia (50 min.), Path no.8 Canale del Tufo (in English water canal, 45 min.).
High difficulty. Path no.7 Picnic area Bosco della Cerasa-Monte Cornacchia (1h 30min.), on the unpaved road.
Easy accessibility route
The adjective accessible is usually referred to a space or service with special infrastructures, which are available to people living difficult situations such as people with mobility difficulties or generally disabled, but also parents with stroller, adults with difficulties in climbing stairs. The toilette may be accessible, such as an office, a public means of transport and the route around the lake.
The project is based on the idea of facing the needs of people of different ages that are unable to enjoy the natural and touristic services. The route, made with a wooden runway 400 meters long, makes Pescara Lake’s area a meeting space, in order to provide a welcoming culture and social inclusion, to receive disabled groups and single persons, adult people and families with children willing to enjoy an area of natural interest.
Avifauna observatory
The creation of the avifauna observatory comes from the needs to study and enhance an area of great nature interest such as Pescara Lake, revitalizing the environment, protecting it from the deterioration and promoting a series of educational activities that, through the direct observation of animals and habitat may increase the respect of the citizens for the natural environment. The observatory is located on the east bank of the lake. It is composed of an observation wooden cabin, accessible by a wooden runway on the lake’s edge, a path 120 meters long where it is possible to observe some species of typical flora of lacustrine environment and a series of educational signs.
Thanks to Marlena Checchia for the translation.
