The territory of Reggio Emilia has a rich natural heritage that, although uncontaminated, is often “organized” in parks, natural oases and equipped paths.
This protected wilderness areas are of particular interest both for the plants and the animals that inhabit them: wolves have been sighted more and more often in the last few years and, guided by an expert, you can easily follow their footprints in the National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Apenines, or even spot a golden eagle flying high while watching over her territories.
The Po river and its secondary branches are also full of life. If you like fishing, take note of the frequent boat excursions that take place in order to spot Pesce Siluro (wels catfish species): some huge exemplars live in the Po river and fishing them can be quite an adventurous experience!
Besides the presence of the “Po river shark”, as Pesce Siluro is sometimes called, the Great River sides are also rich with biodiversity, like e.g. the Marsilea Quadrifolia in the Valli di Novellara Nature Area and the 26 species of birds of community interest hosted into the Golena of Po in Guastalla, Gualtieri and Luzzara Po floodplain.
In fact, the province of Reggio Emilia includes many excellent spots for bird-watching lovers like the Controlled Nature Reserve of the flood expansion fields of the River Secchia or the LIPU Oases of Bianello where, besides the incredible bird population, an extremely rich fauna finds its home; here you can also find 15 different species of wild orchid, in addition to many other rare and precious flower species.
Furthermore, wild asparagus grows spontaneously in the area of Vezzano, proving how generous and rich this land can be! This delicious ingredient is also protagonist of an annual gastronomic festival in its home town.