Is the heronry of the former Eridania in danger? The issue – which concerns the green area that hosts the nests of hundreds of protected herons – was raised by the Forlì Environmental Associations Committee which, in a note, expressed its concern about “the project to cut down trees under the herons’ nests in the heronry”. Environmentalists also complain about communication difficulties: “Despite repeated requests for direct discussion with the municipal administration, we learned the news directly from the competent offices after having noticed the interventions of workers in the area”. The cuts, therefore, have already started. An operation which, for the Taaf, “represents a serious risk for urban biodiversity and the ecosystem services of this vital space. This area, in fact, is not only essential for the heronry and its extraordinary avian and fauna biodiversity, with the presence of herons and many other bird species, but also acts as an urban green lung with crucial functions: containment of rainwater, mitigation of summer temperatures, absorption of Co2 and fine particulate matter, in addition to the production of oxygen. Interventions such as cutting of trees would irreparably compromise these benefits, exacerbating climate and environmental problems in an urban context already under pressure”. The environmentalists close with a specific request: “We ask for an immediate stop to the project and a public discussion to evaluate non-invasive alternatives, such as the sustainable management of guano without sacrificing greenery”. The response from the Environment Councilor Giuseppe Petetta is ready and he strongly denies it: “As usual there are people who, in order to have their say, speak out of turn, without knowing the real reasons that led to the reclamation of the wooded area adjacent to the former Eridania site”. Petetta clarifies: “What is underway are bush clearing, mowing, low thinning of spontaneous vegetation and targeted pruning interventions. Nothing to do, therefore, with what is reported by environmental associations, where there is improper talk of cutting trees under the herons’ nests and serious compromise of the surrounding ecosystem”. On the contrary, the councilor specifies that, far from affecting the balance of the area, “the reclamation operations are the result of careful inspections and precise indications provided to us by the technicians of the veterinary health authority and public hygiene, as well as comparisons with Arpae. During the inspections, in fact, the strong state of neglect of the land between via Monte San Michele and via Gorizia emerged, characterized by the presence of layers of guano, which over time have compromised the hygienic-sanitary conditions. This situation – he concludes – had been reported to us on several occasions by numerous residents, with strong intolerance for the miasmas accentuated in the summer”.
Sofia Nardi
date: 2026-02-12 05:58:00