Parks

Sibillini Mountains National Park
The flora and fauna of the Sibillini embody the “wild spirit” that makes every experience of these mountains unforgettable. The enchanting vegetation tends to change as it approaches the basal core of the Sibillini, an altitude of 500 m at its highest peaks.
Until about 1000 m a forest of durmast, black hornbeam, and mannash predominates, giving way to mixed beechwood, which eventually becomes pure beechwood. Today the upper limit of forest vegetation hangs at about 1700 -1750 m, some 100 m below the what it was in the past; this was caused by past clearcutting in the development of pasture areas.
Above the potential woodland limit are primary or natural pastures where prized, rare species can be found. Artemisia petrosa ssp. eriantha, the stella alpina dell’Appennino (Appennine Alpine Star) (Leontopodium alpinum ssp. nivale) as well as Viola eugeniae, Anemone millefoliata, Gentiana dinarica, Dryas octopetala; in the scree and detrital areas it is possible to find Drypis spinosa ssp. spinosa, Isatis allionii, Linaria alpina, Robertia taraxacoides, etc. The presence of Ephedra nebrodensis in Valnerina and Carex disticha in the “Pian Grande” is telling, as it is only one of the two places where it grows in Italy.
The wildlife is also interesting. Of the mammals, worth mentioning are the wolf, the elusive mountain cat, the porcupine, whose diffusion in the warmer areas is a recent phenomenon, and the roe. The deer and the apennine chamois have returned to the park thanks to specific reintroduction projects. Of the birds, the royal eagle is worth a particular mention; since the institution of the park it has begun to build nests in areas that had been abandoned for years.
Also the goshawk, peregrin hawk and the sparrow hawk, typical inhabitants of the wooded habitat. Other bird species represented are the royal owl, the southern Greek patridge, the alpine sea crow and chough, golden plover, redstart, alpine accentor, snow bird, and the nuthatch. Reptiles are represented by the viper of the Ursini, which on M. Sibillini reaches the northernmost limit of its diffusion in Italy. An invertebrate example is the chyrocefalo of Marchesoni, endemic to Pilato lake.

Regional Natural Park of the Conero
The only relief (572 meters) overhanging the central Adriatic coast is the Conero promontory, the heart of the homonymous Regional Park. Created in 1987 and now managed by an independent institution, the Conero Park area includes the towns of Ancona, Sirolo, Camerano and Numana and covers over 6000 hectares of protected area, offering suggestive views of places and landscapes: the Portonovo Bay, the Two Sisters beach, panoramic sights overlooking both the sea and the hills.
The hiking trails go across the park, showing strawberry trees, brooms, ilex trees, pines, in the magic of the Mediterranean maquis: numerous botanical species have their natural habitat in the Conero Park and they represent one-third of the entire flowers and plants heritage of the Marche region. Conero promontory is a place of great importance for the transit and stop of birds during Spring migration. Moreover, it hosts, among its rocks overlooking the sea, rare birds such as peregrine falcon. The geological stratigraphy that makes up the Mount Conero is has a scientific importance at world level and it constitutes a unique source of knowledge for the early history of our planet.
Finally, evocative and precious are the culture and history that enrich the landscape: the romantic church of Saint Maria of Portonovo, to the abbey of St. Peter in Conero, Picene Antiquarium in Numana… These are treasures of rare beauty set in the natural park area. The Conero Visitor Park Center is located in Via Peschiera 30 / A Sirolo (AN) And it's opened daily from 9 to 13; from June 15, opened from 9 to 13 and from 16 to 19.
Official Site: www.forestalp.it e-mail: infoconero@forestalp.it

The Natural Regional Park of Gola della Rossa and Frasassi
The Natural Regional Park of Gola della Rossa and Frasassi is the " green heart " of Marche Region. It was born in September 1997 (L.R. n.57 of 02.09.1997), with its 10.026 hectares, it is the largest regional protected area and includes the subterranean complex of Frasassi caves.
A trip in the park is a "trip in the Marche heart", discovering the historical and artistic treasures, hidden by landscapes rich in charm and harmony, immersed in an uncontaminated nature and luxuriant. the natural scenarios just described are inserted in a wider area, that of Montana Community of Esino-Frasassi , from many historical treasures, archaelogical and cultural sites. The park is an oasis of nature that offers the possibility to make excursions to its many paths, admiring the flora and fauna's rich typical of the pre-Apennines.
Interesting natural phenomena involving this area: the karst and the presence of sulfur springs. Wonderful Karst example is the suggestive Gola of Frasassi , excavated by water erosion of the river that for millenia has shape these lands, creating rocky cliffs and giving rise to an underground kingdom of unrivaled splendor: the caves of Frasassi. Apart the wonders of karst phenomena, the area si a jewel of biodiversity with its 105 species of nesting birds, 40 species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians and 29 among more than 1250 plant species.
The fauna who lives in the Park of Gola Della Rossa and Frasassi highlights species of considerable conservation value for Marche. Among the birds are counted 105 breeding species of the 124 present in the Province of Ancona. The Royal Eagle si the top of the food chain consist of mammals, birds, amphibians and crustaceans in the Park, specifically in the Gola of Frasassi, the only nesting pair of the province of Ancona.