"Gariglione - Pisarello" Nature Reserve

Established in the Sila Piccola, on the Catanzaro side of the Sila National Park, the Gariglione-Pisarello Biogenetic Nature Reserve guarantees the biological balance and biodiversity of a very special area, that of Mount Gariglione, in the municipality of Taverna. Crossed by the Tacina River, the Gariglione-Pisarello Nature Reserve is characterised by valleys, ravines and short streams.

The importance of the Gariglione-Pisarello Nature Reserve lies mainly in the production of silver fir seeds which, according to research carried out by Austrian and German scientists, give rise to plants with extraordinary resistance to atmospheric pollution, the same plants that contribute to making the air in Sila the best in Europe.

Among mammals, the most important species is the famous Sila Wolf, with morphological characteristics that differentiate it from the European wolf, although they are of the same species. Until a few years ago, the wolf was in danger of extinction, but today the population seems to be increasing. Other mammals that inhabit the Gariglione-Pisarello Nature Reserve include roe deer, wild boar, squirrels, foxes, hares, badgers, wild cats, martens and stone martens.