PO GRANDE in the Program "Man and the Biosphere”
The Biosphere Reserve Po Grande includes the central part of the river Po, an area which has been deeply influenced by the human activities. It includes 13 habitats of community importance and it covers the area of 85 municipalities and 3 regions  (Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy).

The Po river is the longest and the biggest in Italy, one of the most important in Europe.  The Reserve of Po Grande completes the other two along the river, the Delta del Po (2015) and Collina Po (2016), which have recently been nominated. It covers a total surface of 2.866 km2 with a population of  541.047 inhabitants (INSTAT data, year 2011).

The ecosystem of the river Po can be defined as a patchwork of ecosystems like the river-bed and its branches, the wet areas, the Oxbow lakes and the river islands etc.
Concerning its biodiversity, the central part of the Po river includes 25 sites of the Network Natura 2000 – the main environmental network in the framework of the European policies to preserve the biodiversity, the natural habitats, the flora and fauna – which include the main natural and semi-natural areas and different kinds of habitats of the Valley of the Central Po.

The area is characterized by the willows (Salix alba) and the poplars (Populus spp - Populus alba - Populus nigra). In the area of the Po plain the woods of poplars are sometimes interrupted by wide spaces dedicated to cereals’ farming. The inner river landscape in the reserve is characterized by woods, clearings, streams, ponds and wet areas which are extremely beautiful. Some paths and banks connect the urban centers testifying the rich and typical past of the river landscape. The local tourism and the leisure activities (mountain-biking, canoe, fishing, etc.) are promoted together with the food products of the territory. The woods and the clearings are the ideal places for your Sunday trips: some sailing activities are regularly organized and combined with visits to the museums and the villages of the area.