September 2024

Green Infrastructure Strategy

2024-09-05T10:00:03+02:00

The European Commission has developed a #GreenInfrastructureStrategy, aimed to ensure that the protection, restoration, creation and enhancement of green infrastructure become an integral part of spatial planning and territorial development. #LIFEprogramme #LIFEproject #EUPollinators LIFE Programme EU Environment EU Climate Action Ecosystem Services Partnership Rewilding Europe Università Ca' Foscari Venezia Little Green Space Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network - BES-Net

Green Infrastructure Strategy2024-09-05T10:00:03+02:00

August 2024

Green infrastructure

2024-09-05T09:53:10+02:00

#Greeninfrastructure, what is it? Green Infrastructure is a network of natural and semi-natural areas designed and managed to deliver a wide range of #ecosystemservices such as water purification, air quality, space for recreation and climate mitigation and adaptation. #LIFEprogramme #LIFEproject #EUPollinators LIFE Programme EU Environment EU Climate Action Ecosystem Services Partnership Rewilding Europe Università Ca' Foscari Venezia Little Green Space Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network - BES-Net

Green infrastructure2024-09-05T09:53:10+02:00

Polistes gallicus – The House of Paper

2024-08-20T10:43:53+02:00

Polistes gallicus The House of Paper This paper wasp (Polistes gallicus, family Vespidae) is very common in Europe. It is smaller than other species of wasps and has a black body with thin yellow stripes. It is a "paper wasp" because its nest has a consistency similar to cardboard, made from a secretion of saliva and chewed plant fibers. Typically, the nest is suspended from a rock or under the eaves of houses by a stalk; it is very sturdy and can support several kilograms of tension! The wasp is omnivorous and feeds on fruits, nectar , insects, snails, etc. [...]

Polistes gallicus – The House of Paper2024-08-20T10:43:53+02:00

Midland hawthorn – The Fairy Tree

2024-08-20T10:41:19+02:00

Midland hawthorn The Fairy Tree The Midland hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) is a tree that can grow up to 6-9 meters tall, very similar to the common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). Despite having long thorns and extremely hard wood, it remains a symbol of delicacy and beauty. The white flowers emit a sweet, delicate fragrance and attract pollinating insects . The round, red fruits provide winter food for birds. Did you know? Even in prehistoric times, people ate hawthorn fruits : their pits have been found in prehistoric settlements. In Celtic tradition, it is a plant associated with fairies and their abode. [...]

Midland hawthorn – The Fairy Tree2024-08-20T10:41:19+02:00

July 2024

Hummingbird Hawk-Moth

2024-08-20T10:36:59+02:00

Hummingbird Hawk-Moth The hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is a small moth belonging to the Sphingidae family. It has a wingspan of 50 mm; the forewings are brownish-gray with black lines. This moth, rather stout and robust, is often mistaken for a bumblebee during flight. It feeds on the nectar of numerous flower species using its very long proboscis, which can reach 26 mm in length, much like a straw . The caterpillars , which are a striking green color, have a characteristic blue posterior horn. Did you know? It is also called the “Hummingbird Moth” because its wings beat incredibly [...]

Hummingbird Hawk-Moth2024-08-20T10:36:59+02:00

Common sallow

2024-08-20T10:34:34+02:00

Common sallow The Common sallow (Salix cinerea, Salicaceae family) is a shrub or small tree that rarely exceeds 6 meters in height. The young twigs are covered with a velvety down. The leaves are oval or lanceolate, up to 10 cm long, and dull green; they are covered with hairs, much denser on the underside, giving the plant a grayish coloration. The gray willow blooms in March-April, before the leaves appear. The inflorescences offer generous amounts of nectar, an important resource collected by bees who find their first supplies of the year here. The Common sallow lives on riverbanks, in [...]

Common sallow2024-08-20T10:34:34+02:00

Do you know rosemary?

2024-08-20T10:31:13+02:00

Do you know rosemary? Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an aromatic plant that grows wild along the Mediterranean coasts. It is an evergreen shrub, and its highly fragrant leaves are well known in cooking. The flowers, which are blue-mauve in color, bloom for a long period, starting from February. The rosemary flower, like that of other plants in the Lamiaceae family, is adapted to welcome bees and other pollinating insects . The lower petal, which is larger, acts as a landing pad for the insects. The stamens bend forward to "dust" their visitors with pollen. Bees produce a light-colored honey with [...]

Do you know rosemary?2024-08-20T10:31:13+02:00

Speckled wood. Camouflaged in the shadows

2024-07-17T15:01:25+02:00

Speckled wood Camouflaged in the shadows This butterfly (scientific name Pararge aegeria, family Nymphalidae) prefers habitats such as deciduous forests and humid, shady environments. It has a wingspan of 35-45 mm, but the shape and size vary depending on whether they live in the North or South of Europe. The wings are dark brown with dark orange patterns. Due to its camouflaged colors and fast flight, the Speckled Wood butterfly easily escapes sight among patches of light. It can be found from plains up to about 1000 meters in altitude (occasionally up to 1700 meters). The adults feed on flower [...]

Speckled wood. Camouflaged in the shadows2024-07-17T15:01:25+02:00

European buckthorn. A shrub for butterflies

2024-07-17T14:57:08+02:00

European buckthorn A shrub for butterflies European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is a shrub with a compact and dense crown, featuring twisted branches that end in thorns. It grows in hedgerows and the edges of forests, but also on cliffs and riverbeds, up to 1200 meters. It is a pioneer species, suitable for consolidating rocky and dry lands. The flowers are inconspicuous, very small with 4 green-yellow petals. The fruits are round drupes, arranged in clusters, which turn black when ripe. Buckthorn is a host species for certain butterflies such as the common brimstone (Gonepterix rhamni), which lays its eggs only [...]

European buckthorn. A shrub for butterflies2024-07-17T14:57:08+02:00

Common daisy The daisy of the meadows 🌼

2024-08-02T17:25:24+02:00

Common daisy The daisy of the meadows The common daisy (Bellis perennis, family Asteraceae) is a small flower found almost everywhere, from lowland meadows to high altitudes, and it blooms practically all year round. Despite its apparent fragility, it can withstand temperatures as low as -15°C . Mowed lawns are the ideal habitat for this species, which spreads rapidly to form true clouds of flower heads. The leaves, oval or spoon-shaped, are grouped in a basal rosette. The plant can reach a height of 20-60 cm and belongs to the Asteraceae family. Did you know? Its white and yellow flower [...]

Common daisy The daisy of the meadows 🌼2024-08-02T17:25:24+02:00
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