Belluno, city of swallows: anti-guano mats and umbrellas installed

Three novelties this year: the entry into the Belluno Dolomites National Park project, the involvement of schools and the networking of data relating to the nurseries in the city

BELLUNO. Today, 6 June, the new mats and new umbrellas were installed under the swallow’s nests in the historic center of Belluno, as part of the project that for some years has seen the chief town, province, alpine hunting reserves, Confcommercio and volunteers collaborate to safeguarding the city’s biodiversity.

Belluno, in fact, is one of the few remaining centers in Italy where swallows, swifts and martins permanently nest. This year the “Belluno city of swallows” project also makes use of a new partnership, that of the Belluno Dolomites National Park, which supplied the anti-guano umbrellas branded with the symbols of the protected area. «We are pleased with this new collaboration, which aims to protect the presence of swallows in the city center, but also to enhance the territory. In fact, swallows are an indication of environmental quality »commented the provincial councilor delegated for wildlife protection Franco De Bon and the councilor for the environment of the Municipality of Belluno, Alberto Simiele.

«The project will continue with the intention of geo-referencing all the nests under the arcades every year, reporting them on the maps of the historic center, so as to record the monitoring; but it is also useful for tourists to get to know one of the beauties of Belluno. We are also studying the possibility of lessons in schools to explain the presence of swallows and their important ecological function ». In addition to the installation of anti-guano mats and umbrellas, in recent days the volunteers – coordinated by Silvana De Col, wife of the late Bepi Tormen – carried out the last census on nests and swallows.

The data show a strong growth in the city’s presence. In fact, there are 167 nests (against 154 in 2021 and 140 in 2020; at the first survey, in 2016, there were 117). Of these, 19 are under construction (compared to 13 a year ago) and 40 used (in line with last year’s figure).