the WWF Park at the Ronchi

Until the 1970s, Versilia had fine beaches, extensive Mediterranean scrubland, and particularly large pine forests. Later, a waterspout and the course of time altered its features, gradually reducing the size of the area. To this day, however, a portion of the coastal area in Ronchi still retains its original environmental features: the WWF park located within the pine forest behind the beach represents a typical local backdune forest.

The space of the park reaches 1.5 hectares and within it hosts a varied and colorful nature trail formed by ponds for amphibians and aquatic reptiles, Mediterranean dunes, rock gardens but also a terrarium for tortoises. In this, WWF devotes its efforts to the rescue and recovery of Caretta turtles, a type characteristic of Italian coasts from Versilia to southern Italy. Here, injured animals are rescued and taken to the Sea Turtle Recovery Center within the forest itself. It is therefore possible to come across various animals recovered from the sea or from the woods around Massa: roe deer, wild boars, foxes, turtles, and birds of prey are constant presences in the park, settled in the areas dedicated to them before release into the wild.

The trails that WWF provides, especially for families and students, allow knowledge, study and awareness of the flora and fauna present within the park. Moving within it, among the animals that characterize the area of the Apuan Riviera, such as peacocks, snakes, the owl and the kingfisher, and among the typical vegetation, such as the holm oak, maritime pine, white poplar and broom, allows young people to open their eyes to a world where nature reigns unspoiled and sovereign, but above all a world where nature is respected. WWF’s main goal is therefore to safeguard the environment, making young and old more responsible. In addition, the short distance between the beach lidos and the WWF park allows local visitors to move easily between the sea and nature, easily stopping at local bars between visits.