Living, knowing ad understanding nature. This is the aim the Centre for Research and Documentation of the Padule di Fucecchio has set for itself, as well as organising guided visits in the marshy areas of high naturalistic value that are included in the provinces of Florence, Pistoia and Lucca, starting form the 9th of March until the 28th May, inaugurates in the context of the regional project «Along Migratory Routes»,  the exhibition «The Humid Areas of Northern Tuscany» at the Museum of Natural History «La Specola» in Florence.

The exhibitive trail was set up purposely in the spring period, the best season to discover the natural areas. In fact there are various species of birds, as well as springtime rebirth of the flora. The exhibition uses various multimedia tools and illustrates the geological evolution, the history, the traditional activities, environmental characteristics, flora and fauna of the humid areas included in the project, to which we can add the material made available by the zoological museum of the university of Florence.

Ample space is dedicated to the Natural Reserve of the Padule di Fucecchio, with three videos that are filmed on great television screens; the strongly enlarged images are of some small animals living in the swamp, filmed by a camera that is directly manoeuvred by the visitor through a joystick similar to those used in videogames. Another multimedia activity allows surfing through the CD-Rom of the «Along Migratory Routes» project, where one can also try out the educational games set up by the operators of the Centre.

For information 0573/84540

March.2002

Padule di Fucecchio
E-mail: Padule di Fucecchio 
Zoological Museum University of Florence