SKUA Nature Group and Fundacion Naturaleza y Hombre inaugurate a new estate in Italy that has been developed and included in the INNATE Network project; like the other estates of the Network, Cascina Spinola is a “world” entirely dedicated to nature tourism and nature photography.
VIDEO OF THE EVENT: https://youtu.be/qDj4xwN9Yr4
Located in the middle of extensive ricefields in northern Italy, Cascina Spinola is also protagonist of an important restoration project run by SKUA Nature: the creation of a wetland that makes this land becoming a safe oasis for resident bird species and a perfect step stone for the migratory species that due to the change of the ricefield agricultural techniques had difficulty finding a place where to stop and rest safely. Furthermore this project allows the whole biodiversity of the area to increase, recovering a healthy nature ecosistem in a man-made environment.
The inauguration took place the week-end of the 22-24 April 2016.
A very great success, more than 400 people attended the event during the 3 days where people could:
- attend to conferences and photo-showings with professional nature photographers
- enjoy the photo-exhibition of the winners of the Oasis Photo Contest (located in an evocative rural farmhouse inside the estate)
- watch and try photographic and birding equipment thanks to the Swarovski Optik stand, Manfrotto stand and Qnap stand, as well as buy nature magazines in the Oasis stand.
- Visit the area of the restoration project
- visit and test the 7 photographic hides and the 7 meters hight observation – photo hide with the shape of a Bittern.
Sponsor of this event the Parco il Babi, accommodation and restaurant facility that the first day organized a superb coffe break and lunch with local food products, like the Panissa risotto.
At the conference and at the ribbon cutting ceremony attended: Max Biasioli (SKUA Nature managing director), Renato Petrini (owner of the Cascina Spinola property), Gualtiero Freiburger (director of the agriculture department of Piedmont region), Carlo Riva Vercellotti (Vercelli’ province president), Franco Bove (Po and Orba National Park president), a council member of Livorno Ferraris municipality, as well as Raffaella Pagano (Biodiversity office – Vercelli’ province), Dario Zocco (Po and Orba NP director), Laura Gola & Luca Cristaldi (Po and Orba NP fauna and forestry technicians), Alice Cerruti (owner of a nearby rice farm), Toni Farina (outdoor activities).
CASCINA SPINOLA PHOTOGRAPHIC ESTATE
Inside the estate 7 new generation professional photographic hides have been placed in strategic sites and positions to give photographers the opportunity to shot amazing low perspective pictures of the local fauna.
Among the several bird species that are possible to photograph from the hides we find: Kingfisher, Black-winged stilt, Glossy ibis, Common snipe, African sacred ibis, Ruff, Common tern, species of sandpipers, greenshanks and lots of other waders, as well as all the Heron family as Bittern, Great egret, Night heron, and much more..
Cascina Spinola IS NOW OPEN all days: come to visit us and to try the hides!
More information at: italy@innatenetwork.com
SOME LINKS
– PHOTO GALLERY of the estate (pictures taken from the hides): http://www.pbase.com/skua_nature/cascina_spinola
– The INNATE Network catalogue: https://issuu.com/skuanature/docs/catalogue_innate/1
– INNATE Network website: http://www.innatenetwork.com/
– SKUA Nature website: http://www.skuanature.com/
- INNATE - 