Bosco della Donzella

Since 1999, Veneto Agricoltura has managed Ca’ Mello Oasis, a large area located on Donzella Island in the Po River Delta. The area is located within the boundaries of Delta del Po Regional Park (Site of Community Importance): in the final section of the Venetian Delta. The area, once largely cultivated, is now a biodiversity-rich ecosystem thanks to repeated environmental restoration efforts. Bosco della Donzella was created between 1999 and 2000 thanks to EU funding. It covers an area of about 80 hectares and is one of the most extensive forestation projects implemented in the region. Due to its location between the wetlands of Ca’ Mello Oasis and the Bonello biotope, the area plays an important role as an ecological corridor connecting the two biotopes.

More than 115,000 forest seedlings of native species, typical of coastal and lowland stands (such as: holm oak, downy oak, English oak, narrowleaved ash, manna ash, poplars, willows, alders, sea-buckthorn, tamarisk, hawthorn, juniper, etc.) were used to create the forest. Some areas, inside or at the edge of the forest, have been maintained as grassland; in some areas, where the salinity in the soil is higher, the presence of salicornia and other halophytic species is typical.

This forest is part of Associazione Forestale di Pianura (Lowland Forest Association).