WTI Magazine #83    2016 September 16
Author : Italian Botanical Heritage      Translation by:

The Lama Balice Nature Park covers an area of 125 hectares and is on a typical carsic incision with a "U" shape, called "lame" (blade) (grooves carved out by running water of rivers and streams over time in limestone), from which it takes its name. The park crosses the Murgia plateau in the municipalities of Bitonto, Modugno and Bari, and reaches the sea. The blade bed was once occupied by the Tiflis' river, now dried up, along which were found traces of prehistoric settlements.

The visit to the park is made even more interesting by the presence of olive groves in the contiguous areas and the many farms scattered throughout the territory, among which are Villa Malatesta, Masseria Caffariello and Villa Framarino, also a meeting point for excursions in the regional park.

FLORA AND FAUNA
Among the main species of fauna of the park we can find foxes, frogs, hedgehogs, weasels, the moorhen, the owl, kestrel, kingfisher, mallards, buzzards, the brown beak jay and wader.

There are also numerous species of plants: the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua), holm oak (Quercus ilex), laurel (Laurus nobilis), the fragno (Quercus trojana), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), wild asparagus (Asparagus acutifolius ), wild orchids (which include various kinds) and herbs such as mint (Mentha spp.), sage (Salvia spp.) and thyme (thymus spp.).