Diaccia Botrona Nature Reserve

Upon hearing the news of an imminent sale to private individuals of the Diaccia Botrona Nature Reserve, a protected area in the Province of Grosseto and a site of community interest, the Foundation Capellino intervened to avoid a possible threat to the habitat and to find a shared solution, which contemplated a concrete increase in biodiversity in the area.

What happened?

In a public auction held by the Province of Grosseto, 950 hectares of land located in the Municipality of Grosseto, in the Padule Aperto area, partly falling within the Diaccia Botrona Nature Reserve, were awarded to a private individual.

The Foundation Capellino, in synergy with the local environmental associations WWF and GOM, participated in a signature collection to keep the Diaccia Botrona Nature Reserve public. In just a few weeks the petition has reached over 55,000 members.

What did we do?

Following this result, the Foundation Capellino sent an open letter to ask the institutions to suspend the sale for 90 days, with the aim of proposing a project - then actually presented to the president of the Province - aimed at protecting and increasing biodiversity in the area.

However, after having acknowledged the impossibility of the Province to revoke the sale notice, an alternative route was identified, based on mediation between the parties, to equally allow the objective of safeguarding the habitat and increasing the biodiversity.

What happened?

Thanks to the commitment of the Foundation, the land within the Diaccia Botrona Nature Reserve, 215 hectares up for sale, was given in concession by the buyer for 90 years to the reserve itself. The Province of Grosseto has further committed to reacquiring this area so that the property remains definitively public.

Furthermore, thanks to the intervention and resources made available by the Capellino Foundation, the purchasing party has granted 150 additional hectares to the Province for 50 years which will be transformed into wet meadows serving the biodiversity of the Nature Reserve.

On the remaining part of the Open Marshes, private individuals (who must be recognized for economic flexibility and environmental sensitivity) have committed to starting a transition to organic, maintaining cereal cultivation essential for large migratory birds.

The Province for its part has taken action with the Region to extend the rules for the protection of natural reserves to the entire agricultural area of the Padule Aperto.

Biodiversity, that until 15 months ago was threatened, today can be said to be not only safeguarded, but in tangible progress throughout the entire area.

The activist commitment to increase biodiversity in Diaccia Bortona

What happened?

What did we do?

What happened?

Our Partner

Project Data