A place of biodiversity, research, and community.
The Mesima River Mouth Regional Nature Reserve was born from a shared dream: to preserve and restore one of Calabria’s most evocative places to the community. The mouth of the Mesima River, with its ever-changing shape, the shifting colors of the sunsets, the dune habitats, and the wetlands that characterize the coastal landscape, has long represented a natural heritage of extraordinary value that deserved to be protected and enhanced.
From this awareness arose the idea of promoting the establishment of a protected natural area. The first concrete step was the drafting of a bill aimed at establishing a Regional Nature Reserve, a proposal that immediately found the support of the then Regional Councilor Marcello Anastasi, the first to believe in the project and to make himself available to support the institutional process.
With the renewal of the Regional Council, the project was not abandoned. On the contrary, thanks to the determination of the WWF Italy Delegate for Calabria, Angelo Calzone, Esq., the initiative gained new momentum. Calzone enlisted the support of Regional Councilor Dr. Ferdinando Laghi, a seasoned environmentalist and fellow advocate in numerous battles to defend Calabria’s natural heritage, who wholeheartedly embraced the proposal and decided to champion it.
A key contribution to the drafting of the legislative proposal was made by Dr. Miriam D’Ottavio, an expert in the drafting of regulatory texts, who, together with the other members of Councilor Laghi’s staff, worked on updating and refining the original draft, bringing it into line with current regional and national legislation and addressing its technical, economic, and financial aspects.
The bill was subsequently reviewed by the relevant committees on the environment and the budget. During the preliminary review process, the regional representative of WWF Italy was also heard, and he outlined the scientific, environmental, and social reasons underlying the establishment of the reserve. The proposal garnered broad, cross-party support, demonstrating that the protection of biodiversity and natural heritage is a value shared by all political parties.
The support provided by the Calabria Region’s Department of the Environment, through the Parks and Protected Areas Division headed by Dr. Giovanni Aramini, was also crucial, as it guided the proposal through the approval process.
On December 12, 2022, the Regional Council of Calabria definitively approved the law establishing the Mesima River Mouth Regional Nature Reserve, marking the achievement of a major milestone for the WWF, the initiative’s promoters, the Regional Council, and the local communities involved.
From the outset, the establishment of the Reserve was conceived not only as a tool for nature conservation but as a territorial regeneration project capable of producing environmental, social, cultural, and economic benefits.
The goal was not simply to protect habitats and species of Community interest—many of which are protected under European and national law—but also to contribute to the landscape and urban regeneration of the area between Nicotera, Rosarno, and San Ferdinando—areas that over the years have faced complex issues related to environmental degradation, waterway pollution, illegal construction, unemployment, and the social and economic difficulties that have characterized part of the Gioia Tauro Plain.
The Reserve thus serves as a concrete tool for improving the environmental quality of the area by protecting the river and the coastal strip, reducing human impact, improving water quality, enhancing natural habitats, and promoting sustainable use of the area.
The redevelopment of the Mesima estuary and surrounding areas also aims to foster the development of high-quality nature-based and cultural tourism through the creation of low-impact infrastructure, nature trails, environmental education programs, and initiatives to highlight the local historical and landscape heritage.
The story of the Mesima River Mouth Reserve demonstrates how nature conservation can become a driving force for the revitalization of an entire region. This project was born out of the passion and commitment of citizens, associations, experts, administrators, and institutions who chose to invest in the beauty, biodiversity, and future of Calabria.
As the naturalist Gianfranco Bologna once said, “we are nature and we depend on it”. It is precisely this awareness that continues to guide the Reserve’s mission, so that the mouth of the Mesima River can be preserved, enjoyed, and passed on to future generations as a shared heritage for all.
