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I feel
uneasy calling myself a naturalist. I would rather call myself a nature
lover, albeit perhaps a competent one, but an amateur nevertheless.
An amateur who has had the good fortune to get to know La Cassinazza
right when the habitat restoration efforts began to bear fruit. These
results can be measured in terms of the new species of plants and
animals that gradually recolonised La Cassinazza, after crossing
a kilometers-wide barrier of inhospitable land which separates it
from other reservoirs of biodiversity.
I can say that, on a small scale, I have watched as the landscape
changed, the habitats matured, and animal and plant species began to
reconquer the new environment created for them.
In this context, natural history observations are a measure and a
testimonial of the success of one of the few ongoing natural habitat
restoration projects, a project that is as ambitious as it is tangible.
Observing, identifying, and recording the occurrence of the various
species, and making sure that these records are archived for future
reference, is for me the ideal way of giving meaning to what would
otherwise merely be a pastime. This is a priceless opportunity, and it
gives me the energy and enthusiams to continue to go out into the
field, year after year, with my binoculars, notebook, and camera.
Natural history observations at La Cassinazza began in 2000 and they
continue to be made regularly, at least once a week. The main focus of
these observations, especially during the first few years, were birds,
and indeed they continue to be, but other forms of life - both plants
and animals - have also gradually captured our attention.
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