Revitalisation of one of the most important Whinchat strongholds in Ticino

Once hay meadows, the pastures of the Dötra mountain pasture have been home to cows during the summer for several years. As the livestock load was no longer sufficient to keep the land open, the pastures have largely been overrun by juniper and have lost their value in terms of biodiversity. The aim is to restore the flower-rich meadows and re-establish an environment conducive to the nesting of various species of meadow-nesting birds typical of the upper forest boundary.

The idea originated with the Dötra Foundation, which owns the land to be redeveloped and has been working on projects to promote biodiversity in the Dötra-Anveuda domain for more than 30 years. Since 1997, the Swiss Ornithological Institute has supported these efforts by conducting a bird census, with a particular focus on the Whinchat. For this new Project, it is providing technical and financial support through the ‘Upswing for Birds’ programme. To achieve the objectives, most of the dwarf shrubs will be cleared, some trees will be felled and the intensity of the pasture will be slightly increased.

This little corner of natural paradise, which forms part of the Lucomagno–Dötra Wetland Area of National Importance and the Piora–Dötra Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA), is home to a wealth of biodiversity and several rare species of great regional importance to the Canton of Ticino. Numerous dry meadows and pastures of national importance still survive here, and it is home to one of Ticino’s most important strongholds for the Whinchat.

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• Fondazione Dötra
• Canton of Ticino
• Boggesi del Lucomagno
• Fabio e Giuliano Zanetti
• Studio di Consulenza ambientale Trifolium SA
• Studio di ingegneria Lucchini – Mariotta & Associati SA
• Naturnetz Ticino