I Boschi

Woodland

Woodland provides an important shelter for the local wildlife, a protection against hydrogeological imbalance, and an energy resource that is coming back into favour. Each year we cut down an area of around one hectare, producing around a hundred tonnes of high-quality firewood strictly for local consumption.

Since 1998 we have planted 15 hectares of new woodland, bringing the total wooded area of the estate to 45 hectares. The new plantations have been designed to favour the species already present and acclimatised to the area. We have planted mainly two varieties of oak, pubescent oak in the drier areas and common oak in the wetter parts, alternating them with patches of hornbeam, ash, holm oak, Turkey oak, and included the occasional walnut and cherry trees.

pruning of cherries and oaks in a tree planting - March 2005

With the help of EU funding, reforestation was completed in two years. The first year we suffered a serious setback in the form of an unexpected attack by porcupines who ruined a quarter of the oak species. Once the damaged trees had been replaced and the new plantations protected, reforestation proceeded well the following years.

Spring 2006: the wondeful flower of a "fraxinus ornus"

We intend to continue this policy of renaturalisation, planting in the near future two kilometres of hedge, using tree and shrub species exclusively from the Mediterranean maquis.