Research Institute of Economy and Society
Regarding some international and community locations, Sicily has set up an ecological network, a mesh of coordinated actions, planned goods and services for sustainable development. Culture, architecture, landscape, crafts, products, places, tastes and knowledge are elements of an alive system in this region, which feeds and grows. To fight against the depopulation of territories, the Sicilian ecological network aims to revitalize the sector, while respecting it, its purpose is to motivate people by enriching of new experiences, in short, to grow in the territory through the territory. A new philosophy is based on the rational use of EU investment, with particular attention to the coast and the mountains, for small realities as for small needs. The ecological network is to provide goods and services for the development of hotels and tourism with the sales, for example, premises, products as part of a system of specific territories, where parks and reserves have a crucial role in the inherent values.
NEBRODI PARK
70 km of mountains, 50% of the forests of Sicily, the Nebrodi Park is the green lung of the island. Also, it is right, in the regional landscape, an environment-friendly development model in which nature is combined with culture under the common banner of sustainable development. The initiatives of the Park, which is also the leader of the Pit - Territorial Integrated Program -the Nebrodi, evolved in the direction of protecting and strengthening the pastoral Agroforestry supported by the supply of tourism and cultural services has a business center dedicated to environmental education, in line with the INFEA program. A winning combination enhanced by a set of unique natural and landscape values in Sicily. Nebrodi means lakes and woods. Welcome to the Nebrodi formerly of Sicilian Alps. The craft is essentially characterized by the presence of bed sheets, handkerchiefs, embroidered tablecloths, lace, worked with embroidery looms by women Nebrodi. Many wood or iron objects can be bought on the streets of the cities we have visited. Certainly the tradition of ceramic plays an important role, thanks to the Tyrrhenian cities (Santo Stefano di Camastra, Patti) already operating in the sector, but it is in the typical food production that North Eastern Nebrodi excels. Floresta’s meat, sausage, a young goat, provole (cheese), dried tomatoes, ricotta, mushrooms, and fresh pasta are a riot of flavors. The municipalities of the park offer, just for a light meal, with this domain of "barracks”. It may not look like much from the outside, but your taste buds will thank you.
MADONIE PARK
The Madonie Park is located northwest of Sicily; it was created in 1988 to safeguard the variety of fauna and flora, which includes, in an exemplary way, the typical characteristics of the island. The presence of high peaks, rocks of the prehistoric era, which have around 2000 years, and climate make this region an extremely diversified region, giving rise to a large number of animal and plant species. In addition, the strong strategic connotation of many of these municipalities, in the past, invaded by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans gives us cities full of history.
ALCANTARA PARK
This is one of the largest rivers of Sicily, between the provinces of Catania and Messina, virtually leaning against parks Nebrodi and Etna. There are about 40 km of green banks, which have not always been respected by men. Between castles and typical flavors, between the gorges of lava and extremely interesting endemic plants, Alcantara is one of the easiest parks to visit, thanks to the road SS 185 and a simple road network. "Al Quantarah", the bridge, in Arabic, means that, on the banks of this river are still flowing traces of history. A trip along the banks of the Alcantara, therefore, will not only be a journey through nature and local culture, but also in the deep history of Sicily, Byzantine, Arab and Norman.
ETNA PARK
From its 3,300 meters, Etna is a kind of giant fire in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. This image is necessary to understand that this extraordinary ecosystem is now the highest active volcano in Europe. High temperature, continuous succession of eruptions, the variety of the landscape (sea, forests, lava flows) make a varied, suitable habitat for an incredible quantity of animals and plant species. Beyond 2500 meters, nothing grows except, perhaps, a sporadic broom.During a tour, sitting on a spur of lava prematurely cooled by freezing nights, to contemplate together, to aim the Aeolian Islands, to admire the extraordinary fusion of water and fire, earth and air, is an image that remains etched in the memory. If we consider Etna as an active volcano that stands proudly in the heart of the Mediterranean, we also understand what an extraordinary example of biodiversity it is today because it was the first natural reserve established in Sicily. From the twelve hills of Etna, the summit crater, the Mediterranean climate, with low temperatures at high altitude and its landscape were settled in a wide variety of fauna and flora, have attracted scientists and researchers from around the world . They are curious to see how the meeting of water and earth, fire and air has created absolutely extraordinary endemism. The Etna Park, divided into four protection zones, embraces twenty municipalities in the province of Catania, and is a whole, is a unique environment in the Mediterranean.
SICANI PARK
The Park Sicani is the fifth protected area of the island, between the provinces of Agrigento and Palermo, includes four precious reserves being in the Sosio Valley, Palazzo Adriano, Monte Carcaci Genuardo Monte and Monte Cammarata. The headquarter of the park has been identified in the municipalities of Bivona and Palazzo Adriano. Twelve municipalities are involved. The Sicani Mountains, limestone hills with altitudes generally above 1000 m to 1578 m for Mount Cammarata and 1,436 Monte delle Rose, have a very complex environment and microclimate, which showed a richness of flora and fauna. From the botanical point of view, there were more than 700 plants species including forty endemic.
Texts from Sicily Parks www.siciliaparchi.com