Riserva regionale Lago Pantano di Pignola, Regional nature reserve in Pignola, Italy.
The Riserva regionale Lago Pantano di Pignola is a nature reserve of about 155 hectares centered around a lake in Potenza province. The area is covered with reed beds, sedge communities, and vegetation adapted to wet environments.
The wetland was originally a muddy pool but was transformed in the 1930s and 1940s through drainage projects to make the land suitable for farming and reduce malaria. These changes shaped the landscape we see today.
The reserve carries the name of the central lake and the village of Pignola and is managed by the WWF organization, which has been running environmental education programs since 2002. Visitors can understand here how wetlands function and why their protection matters.
The best way to explore the area is on marked nature trails where you can observe local wildlife such as foxes, weasels, swans, herons, and mallards. It is advisable to visit early in the morning when animals are most active.
The area is notable for its high biodiversity: it hosts about 150 bird species, 1500 insect species including some newly documented in southern Italy, and native fish like tench in its waters. This biological richness makes it an important refuge for rare species.
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