History of the site

In the late 90's, early 2000, I had the good fortune to meet the curator of the Ethnographic Museum of Giazza: Mr. Giovanni Molinari.
It was a trivial problem of applied computer science that led me to him, with the help of a friend. Those were years of 'turmoil' in that the Cimbrian Museum, and the desire to speed up the work of Curatorium by Molinari, which already was ponderous, convinced me to agree to cooperate with this institution. You know how these things go, I mean the collaborations: one leads to another. He got the idea of creating a site by ourself around the Cimbri, along the lines of an existing and developed by German students of Frankfurt. The partnership continued for several years and our numbers grew increased greatly, even though those in attendance had varied interests.
Shortly before he left Italy to try to realize those dreams that so fascinated him, in lands across the ocean, he asked me to write a book on wildflowers of Lessinia. This idea stunned me. Although he knew my forestery cultural background, he did not suspect that I had great passion for nature, specifically botany, but at the same time a sense of anxiety pressed my chest. How could I tackle such a work, alone. I knew the obstacles that this venture would soon manifest. That scared me. I knew the obstacles that this venture would soon manifests itself. And that scared me. An unexpected help came more from him, when he introduced me to two boys, recent graduates, scientists, who would have gladly shared my enthusiasm, but also my concerns. We set to work immediately. Contacting the client we realized soon that he did not intended to publish a treatise on applied botany, but an unpretentious little book, containing the main species flowering in the area of Lessinia. This I thought would be more within our reach and better than nothing.
Needless to say, at this point. The project foundered for many reasons which I won't go into right now. Meanwhile, the 'machine' was not only starting, but was traveling quickly, even if you had already lost sight of the goal, the point of arrival. It matters little, I told myself. The important thing is the journey. And so I continued on my way. The idea of a publication was wrecked, but to share with others my passion, my extensive research, no. The experience with Mr. Molinari at the museum allowed me to develop a website, mine, which I created and managed by me. I called it "Wildflowers of Lessinia". Oh God, I can not claim to be a magician webmaster but, as I had conceived, I had managed, somehow. And I was happy, even enthusiastic. The idea then was to transfer all the material onto a laptop, making it easy to get to the determination of plants in the field without having to take them home or without loading of heavy tomes on the shoulders, up and down the valleys, was very stimulating indeed.
The fortunes of the sites are, that are continually changing: you do not like the graphics?, No matter, you change them, you do not like the solution?, Quiet, you will try another. With the books you can not. Verba volant, scripta manent, said the Latin, "written words remain fly". In short, it does what you wrote you wrote and you can not change it anymore, in all the meanings. Each work contains in itself, something unfinished, imperfect, of unsatisfactory. And, on the one hand a literary work, but also scientific, 'petrified' like a shot, reveals the author's intent in a given historical moment (which may show some interesting aspects of) the work published on the Internet follows different logics. It does not matter if there are any inaccuracies, omissions, mistakes you can correct, add, delete. All in real time. If the book 'aging', starting from the day of its publication, the site is constantly young, it adds, it grows. In short, does not make you pay the price of the frustration that often affects creators of 'works'. We all remember the 'Why do you look at me and do not speak!?' by Michelangelo before his Moses statue. But we're coming out of the sow!
Visitors to the site you will immediately realize that it is highly deficient. It is in the making a site, built, updated, changed over and over again and that still needs much work. I do not mind about the graphics being more or less pleasant. I realize that the visitor must be facilitated as much as possible when moving between web pages, but I wanted to devote my time more to content than form. The taxa (species and subspecies), theoretically present in Lessinia exceed 2000 units (at least according to the work designed by me), belonging to 570 genera included in 139 Families. Why do I say 'theoretically'? For the fact that the taxa identified are included in the large existing literature, where different authors have recorded them as present, at different times, but still to be confirmed or excluded, either because of erroneous determinations or because of extinction. But they could also miss species that actually exist, go unnoticed because even recently introduced, which is very common nowadays, due to excessive movement of vehicles and people who, incidentally, can carry seeds and propagules from one place to another.
At the time I found, determined, located and photographed about 1650 taxa. What a long way still to go! (and not only in a metaphorical sense). But who's in a hurry? It will never be finished, because nothing is permanent in nature. The natural materials do not ever tire of, if for no other reason that does not end: a surprise around every corner, every trip to a renewed enthusiasm for new discoveries possible. During these past 15 years I travelled about 1550 times trough my County. I've come a mountain of kilometers from the most easy to the more inaccessible, the length and breadth of the Lessinia, discovering places never suspected, enchanting, imbued with the poetry that we find in Barbarani, or in paintings of Dall'Oca and in many Verona's authors. Sometimes, neverthless, sometimes I remain speechless for use and abuse of the territory, without respect, without a minimum of cultural coherence, often in the name of 'profit' and 'progress', in pious attempt to grasp a mirage, which by definition is unattainable, moving, moreover, to the opposite direction, consistent with the malpractice, the insensitivity and ignorance of today. I do not hide that I'm comfortable just over 1300 meters of altitude, and not just for the goodness of the air!
The site leads through the identification of taxa using a 'search for species', but also for 'Families', passing through a table 'Synoptic' for an overview. All this accompanied by pictures and cards to which they are accessed 'clicking' or icons (to open and enlarge the images, but of low quality, given the limited web space I have available) or on the numbers that identify each taxon found (to open the tab for the selected one). It is also a short glossary of technical terms for the understanding, which are abundantly present in the 'dichotomous keys': those keys that allow you to determine at least the Family of the plants found in the country. Finally, a brief discussion on the systematics, ie the classification of plants, albeit in broad terms, just to understand where the plants 'lie' in that immense 'building' we know which is the Systematic Botany. Last but not least, the mapping of Lessinia, to consult on-line only, using the excellent software developed by the Google search engine called 'Google maps'. And, finally, a touch of vanity: my photo and e-mail for contact.