Flowers of Lessinia: the Project

The Origins of the Project

In the late 1990s, a chance encounter gave rise to this project. Thanks to a computer problem, I met Giovanni Molinari, then curator of the Ethnographic Museum of Giazza. What began as simple technical advice soon turned into a lasting collaboration with the Curatorium Cimbricum Veronense, the institution that preserves the culture of the Cimbrian community.

From Collaboration to Idea

Our first initiative was the creation of a website about the Cimbri, inspired by a project by students of the University of Frankfurt. But it was shortly before he left for Canada that Molinari set me a fascinating challenge: to write a book on the flowers of Lessinia. The idea thrilled me at once, even though he was unaware of my deep passion for botany, hidden behind my training as a forester.

How the Project Evolved

The original plan was a popular book on the main flowering species of the Lessinia area. Although the book was not published at the time (it only came out in 2018), that proposal lit a spark that has never gone out. The experience I had gained running the Museum’s website allowed me to turn that idea into something different: a website devoted to the flowers of Lessinia, a dynamic tool in constant evolution.

The Contributors

A project of this scope would not have been possible without the valuable contribution of friends and enthusiasts. In particular, when the idea of the book seemed too ambitious to tackle alone, Molinari introduced me to two young, newly graduated naturalists. Their enthusiasm and skills proved essential in giving the project its shape. Although the book was not produced at the time (it only came out in 2018), their collaboration helped lay the foundations of what would become this website.

Over the years, other enthusiasts have contributed their knowledge, photographs and records, further enriching the body of information gathered. This network of shared skills and passions has made it possible to create a richer and more accurate resource than any one person could have achieved alone.

The Advantage of Going Digital

The choice of a digital format has proved a winning one for several reasons:

• It can be updated continuously
• It is easy to correct and expand
• It can be taken into the field on mobile devices
• It can grow and adapt over time

Fieldwork

In more than 22 years of research:

• 1,800+ documented excursions
• 1,858 taxa identified and photographed (out of more than 2,000 species potentially present)
• Systematic exploration of the area, from the most accessible places to the most inaccessible ones
• Discovery of hidden corners of Lessinia, some enchanting, others sadly marked by neglect

How the Site Is Organised

The site offers several tools for identifying and studying the species:

1. Search by species
2. Browsing by family
3. Synoptic table for an overall view
4. Dichotomous keys for identification
5. Glossary of technical terms
6. Introduction to plant systematics
7. Cartography of Lessinia

A Project in the Making

This site is a work in progress, a project that keeps growing and evolving. Nature itself is constantly changing: new species are introduced, others disappear, distributions shift. The digital format allows us to document these changes in real time, creating a living archive of the flora of Lessinia.

Commitment to the Territory

Beyond its scientific value, this project aims to bear witness to the extraordinary biodiversity of Lessinia and to serve as a tool for knowing and conserving it. The documentation of more than 1,800 excursions is not just a number: it holds years of observations, discoveries and, sadly, also the record of how human activity is altering these unique environments.

Looking Ahead

The site will keep growing and becoming richer, true to its mission of documenting, preserving and sharing knowledge of the flora of Lessinia. It is a task that, like nature itself, will never be finished, but it is a contribution to understanding and protecting this extraordinary natural heritage.