Geese Path

Exploring this route you will have the opportunity to observe from an unusual angle anthropic elements such as the bridges of Villafranca Piemonte and Cardé (the latter, has the pride of being the first concrete bridge to be built on the Po), glimpses from the past, such as the ancient river ferry, the slow and steady flow of the waters, the patience of the lowland forests and the countryside shaped by man. An authentic immersion in nature that is one of the reasons why the "Sentiero delle Ochette" is part of the "A PO of Everything" project that the Friends of the Po Association implemented in 2017 as part of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism.

The Wings Trail

One of the enormous riches of the trails that go deep into nature is the opportunity to meet the animals that live in the places you pass through. Here, welcoming young and old alike thinks of the Wings Trail: installed along the path that runs along the river, you will find a series of panels documenting more than 100 species of birds that nest in the Po River Park area. For each of them you will find a brief description of some peculiarities about its life, especially the aspect of parental care with nesting enhancement.

The main purpose of the exhibition, thanks to the beautiful pictures, is to make people aware of our avifauna, even the most common that normally escapes human attention, and to raise the desire to protect birds and nature in general.

The work that led to the realization of this project was very challenging and rewarding, capable of capturing delicate moments in the lives of birds without ever disturbing them. The lens, in fact, captured intense intimate life movements of the birds, often hidden in the thick vegetation, therefore difficult to observe at the delicate moment of nesting. It is important to point out that the photographic footage was taken with the utmost respect for life, without causing any alterations to the natural environment and without causing any disturbance that could jeopardize the successful conclusion of the reproductive cycle, with the flight of the young from the nest.

All the photographs (taken with an analog camera) in this exhibition on the avifauna of the Po River Park were taken by Nino Perassi from Villafranca , a person with a great passion for birds and a deep knowledge of their habits and environments. The author has achieved a large number of photographs over the years, and thanks to the collaboration of the Friends of the Po and in particular two friends Pino Ghione (who is responsible for the meticulous care of the description and classification) and Silvio Marocco (head of education), he has created the traveling exhibition "Wings on the Po."