A hands-on approach

WWF volunteering in the Parco delle Gole della Breggia.

68 helping hands. Happy faces after a job well done. A hillside cleared of invasive alien plants. As part of an adventure weekend in Ticino, volunteers joined WWF and Cornèrcard employees to get to the root of the problem.

Hoeing, pulling and digging! At the end of September, the Geopark Gole della Breggia in Mendrisiotto tackled the issue of invasive alien plants (‘new plants’ that are not native to Europe, spreading invasively and endangering biodiversity). Teamwork was needed to get rid of these unwelcome guests. Some people pulled up the plants, while others cut off the non-compostable parts of the plants for burning, so that the seeds could not develop.

A little indulgence too

Of course, our guests didn’t just work during their two-day visit. For lunch, they went to the grotto, where panzanella (Tuscan bread salad) and a hearty porcini mushroom risotto were served.

After the initial work in the morning, the team moved on to the ​‘root treatment’ of the slope in the afternoon. The roots of the plants were dug up to prevent them from growing back. It is incredible how these unloved plants have such strong roots and branches. At the end, there was a well-deserved aperitif and local wine tasting. On our way there it became clear that there is still a lot of work to be done here too; we met plenty of invasive plants along the way. We’ll keep at it!

An exciting site of contemporary history

In the Geopark Parco delle Gole della Breggia, you can find evidence of ancient seas dating back up to 80 million years and industrial heritage in the form of a decommissioned cement plant. Cement was produced here for 40 years, with 50 per cent of it being used in Ticino, including for the construction of the motorway. This is also part of another challenge today, namely the spread of invasive plants.

With its north-south corridor, Ticino has a particular problem: plant seeds from all over the world become stowaways on car and truck tyres and travel the globe. They settle and spread in the places they like best. Palm trees are growing in Ticino’s chestnut forests, although they do not provide the adequate protection against rockfalls and landslides of chestnut trees. More of a jungle than a protection forest? Canadian plants are springing up in native meadows. This development threatens the balance of nature in Ticino and is a constant reminder of how important it is to protect and preserve our environment.