VIAREGGIO – A plover’s nest has been discovered on the Lecciona beach, between Viareggio and Torre del Lago, and everyone’s effort is needed to protect it.
The plover has returned to nest in the Park: in recent days in Lecciona the discovery was made by volunteers from the Tuscan Ornithological Centre, who constantly monitor the Tuscan beaches. Thanks to the commitment of Legambiente Versilia, WWF Alta Toscana and Lipu, in agreement with the Park Authority and the Municipality of Viareggio, the area was fenced off with poles and ropes and signposted. «A symbolic obstacle to the transit of people and dogs which we hope will be respected by the many enthusiasts of this beautiful stretch of coast – explains the director of the Tuscan Ornithological Center Luca Puglisi – It is worth underlining that the few hundred meters of natural beach of Lecciona are now one of the last remaining examples along the Italian coasts of complete dune ecosystems, from the sea to the forests behind the dunes, and therefore deserve to be preserved as a precious asset”. «Great news, now everyone’s collaboration is needed. We reiterate the invitation to use our beaches in an environmentally friendly manner – continues Park President Lorenzo Bani – when we go to the beach we use the official indicated and already beaten paths, which allow us to reach the shore without trampling on the nesting areas; we spread the towels near the shoreline or at most within 30 meters of the sea; we do not move the sticks and other natural elements because they are protections for the plover and in general they are among the factors that allow the formation of the dune ecosystem. And, obviously, we keep the beach clean and prevent pets from venturing far away.”
The plover is a wader at risk of extinction at a national level, since its population is in sharp decline everywhere. The characteristic of this species, which like many others nests on the ground, is that it occupies the sandy beaches where it lays its eggs in a small hole dug in the sand a few tens of meters from the sea shore, before the actual dunes. Its habitat, therefore, is a thin strip. In recent decades, the transformation of most coastlines for tourist purposes has led to a drastic reduction in the spaces available for this species. The Lecciona area has characteristics particularly suitable for the nesting of the Kentish plover; however, this is today a completely exceptional fact. The reason lies in the fact that the use of this area is not limited to the shoreline alone, but people and dogs move freely even in the innermost parts of the beach, although the Park regulations provide for the passage and stay of people only along the equipped paths and the shoreline itself. In recent years the plover had nested in Marina di Torre del Lago during the lockdown in 2020 and again in Lecciona in 2019 (2 nests) and in 2018. Only the latter, however, had led to the fledging of a young plover with three eggs laid, while in all other cases nesting had failed due to people and dogs. Nestings are less rare in the neighboring municipality of Vecchiano, but always with less than fortunate results.
