Foci dello Stella and Valle Canal Novo nature reserves

The Foci dello Stella nature reserve is a birdwatcher’s paradise, covering 1377 hectares of natural habitats, including the delta of the river Stella and the surrounding lagoon area. It is an extensive, flourishing reed bed interlaced with an intricate pattern of watercourses easing their way to the lagoon. The reed bed is a permanent and significant feature of the Foci dello Stella reserve. Near the river mouths is a 35-hectare former fishing valley, the Valle Canal Novo nature reserve. This lagoon salt marsh has stretches of water protected from the tides by a set of defensive banks. The reserve is home to mute and Whooper swans, grey geese, tufted ducks, mallards, garganey, shovelers, grey herons and an easily recognisable predator: the marsh harrier. The visitor centre at Foci dello Stella offers a route for bird watching, an information service and workshops for children.