{"id":31977,"date":"2020-07-30T08:00:10","date_gmt":"2020-07-30T06:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/?p=31977"},"modified":"2020-07-28T19:12:47","modified_gmt":"2020-07-28T17:12:47","slug":"sila-national-park-heart-calabria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/sila-national-park-heart-calabria\/","title":{"rendered":"Sila National Park: Traveling into the Green Heart of Calabria"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Sila National Park<\/strong> is a territory of rare beauty in the heart of Sila, a vast mountain area in central Calabria<\/strong>. The park was established in 1997, replacing the old Calabria National Park together with the Aspromonte National Park. Inside the park, there are several biodiversity systems<\/strong> for the protection of animal and plant species. One of these is the Apennine wolf, persecuted over the centuries and which only in 1970 was finally recognized as an animal to be protected.<\/p>\n

A little history of the Sila National Park<\/h2>\n
\"Sila
Author: Beppeveltri; Source: Wikimedia<\/div><\/div>\n

Originally, the Calabria National Park<\/strong> was founded in 1968 to protect the territories of Sila Grande, Sila Piccola and Aspromonte. This area has an indescribable number of natural reserves<\/strong> to be protected and for which, starting from the 1990s, it has been thought of separate management. Thus were born the Sila National Park<\/strong>, in the provinces of Crotone, Catanzaro and Cosenza and the Aspromonte National Park<\/strong>, in the province of Reggio Calabria.<\/p>\n

What to see in the park in the Sila National Park<\/h2>\n
\"glade
Source: Wikimedia<\/div><\/div>\n

The Sila National Park covers almost 80 thousand hectares<\/strong>, in a mountain region with a large variety of habitats characterized by a flora and fauna peculiar to each natural environment.<\/p>\n

It will, therefore, be possible to see beautiful beech woods<\/strong> and white fir forests<\/strong> at an altitude between 1,100 and 1,900 meters and unstable peat bogs<\/strong>, characterized by a very humid environment. Also, alluvial forests<\/strong> of black alder and ash are present along the rivers<\/strong> that abundantly bathe this territory.<\/p>\n

Complete the picture of this enchanted pine forest landscape, meadows dedicated to grazing, cultivated fields and hills.<\/p>\n

\"beechwood
Author: Brunofrancesco; Source: Wikimedia<\/div><\/div>\n

The animals you can meet in the Sila National Park<\/h2>\n

The Sila National Park has a very varied fauna<\/strong>, above all thanks to the reintroduction of some species to rebalance the food chain of the local animals. The reintroduction of deer<\/strong> and roe deer<\/strong> is important for the survival of the Apennine wolf<\/strong> recently reported in the park after the demographic decline of the 70s.<\/p>\n

\"fallow
Author: Civvi; Source: Wikimedia<\/div><\/div>\n

It is also possible to see the fallow deer<\/strong>, not originally present in the park, but introduced into the Golia-Corvo Nature Reserve and protected at the Cupone Visitor Center in an enclosed area in the reserve dedicated to it.<\/p>\n

The small mammals<\/strong> that populate the Sila woods are very important for the biodiversity of the park. The badger<\/strong>, weasel<\/strong>, marten<\/strong>, skunk<\/strong> and otter<\/strong> are common, an important environmental indicator. Other small mammals in the area are the dormouse and the cute southern black squirrel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"otter\"
Author: Bernard Landgraf; Source: Wikimedia<\/div><\/div>\n

Within the national park, birdlife<\/strong> plays a very important role. This area of \u200b\u200bCalabria is a stopover<\/strong> destination on the migratory route<\/strong> that leads birds to migrate from north to south. It is also a nesting area<\/strong> for many bird species. The park authority has identified, through a targeted investigation, 113 species of birds on Sila, of which 57 are to be considered “to be preserved”.<\/p>\n

Flora of the Sila National Park<\/h2>\n

The flora<\/strong> of the park is intimately linked to the morphology of the Sila territory and the mountain reliefs present.<\/p>\n\n\t\t