The LIFE URCA ProEmys project, coordinated by WWF Italy, is launching two major initiatives in Emilia-Romagna aimed at conserving the European pond turtle.
On Saturday 23rd, the refurbished Emys La Francesa Centre, in the municipality of Carpi, and the expansion of the CRA – Reptile and Amphibian Centre of the San Giovanni in Persiceto Plain – will be presented. Both facilities represent a concrete step towards strengthening the breeding, rearing and protection of the species, which is now increasingly threatened by the loss of wetland habitats.
The Emys La Francesa Centre, situated within the Valle di Gruppo ZSC-ZPS, has been reactivated and expanded with new tanks equipped with filtration systems, protected areas for egg-laying and spaces dedicated to the rearing of young specimens. The centre will initially house around ten breeding individuals, helping to bolster the local population already present in the wetland.
The San Giovanni in Persiceto CRA, active since 2010 within the ‘La Bora’ Natura 2000 site, has also been further developed thanks to the LIFE URCA ProEmys project, with the construction of new protected tanks and areas for egg-laying. The centre is now a key hub for the conservation of reptiles and amphibians in the Emilian plain, thanks to collaboration between local authorities, European projects and local organisations.
