Bosco Pizzotto

Located among the incredibly green pastures of the Vezzena Plateau, and overlooked by the homonymous fort, which dominates all of Valsugana and the Plateau from the top of Pizzo di Levico, Bosco Pizzotto (Pizzotto Forest) has incredible naturalistic, touristic and historical value. In fact, if you find yourself walking, hiking or cycling in this area, you cannot help but notice this forest. It is crossed by the trail leading to Fort Vezzena, the easternmost fortification of the Lavarone-Folgaria barrage, one of the many fortifications in the area, on which so much fighting took place during World War I. Bosco Pizzotto has not only been a spectator of historical events but also of natural ones, as it was affected by one of the most severe weather events in recent decades – Storm Vaia – which forever changed the landscape of many Alpine valleys on the night of October 28-29, 2018.

This forest, like many others, could do little to withstand Vaia’s extremely strong wind gusts, which literally uprooted hundreds of trees, and which were mostly spruce trees. The predominance of spruce and the low regeneration levels are among the characteristics of the crashed forest. Characteristics that can be improved. By adopting a tree in Bosco Pizzotto, you help it grow stronger, healthier and more resilient. Our project plans to increase the biodiversity of the forest by introducing local species such as larch trees and different broadleaf trees such as beech, maple, sorb and birch to prepare the forest for any upcoming extreme weather events and counter the climate crisis. In 2021, forests in Bosco Pizzotto have been battling the bark beetle, a dangerous pest that is decimating the forest by sucking sap from spruce trees.

The good news is that by planting new trees we have countered the spread of this pest.