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Tour

3. The rhythm of the night

#THELAGOONHASTHEMOON

Dates


Location
Ocean Space
Admission fee
Free of charge
Bookings

Places are limited, reservations are required at the following link.

Intervento culinario

At 8pm a culinary intervention curated by The Tidal Garden with Gelatoteca Suso will be organized prior to the walk at Ocean Space

Third appointment of the new cycle of itinerant conversations "Venice as a model for the future?".

With the title "The lagoon / has the moon / between its legs / playing ball" (after a poem by Etel Adnan, from her book From A to Z, Post-Apollo Press, 1982), this series intends to explore how humans and more than humans co-exist in Venice and its lagoon after dark, when the wave of daily visitors leaves the city, nocturnal birds start to sing, beacons are switched on some boats to catch mullet and cuttlefish, and the moon dictates the movement of tides.

The rhythm of the night

For decades in Venice the song of the scops owl (Otus scops), the smallest nocturnal bird of prey, with yellow eyes and highly camouflaged brownish plumage, could only be heard in the gardens of the Cini Foundation. In more recent years, pairs have also moved their nests to Sant'Elena, to the gardens of the Biennale and to San Servolo, to progressively occupy the entire urban landscape. Industrial agricultural practices and the spread of pesticides have had a strong impact on the life of this small insectivorous animal, causing its decline and pushing it away from the coastal areas it once preferred. The scops owl is migratory, moving towards Europe in spring, only to return to the sub-Saharan belt between the end of summer and autumn, after having reproduced.

Mostly active from sunset to midnight, with calls that extend more sporadically until dawn, it has a very recognizable song, similar to a whistle, which is repeated after an interval of a few seconds. Those less accustomed to its presence often mistake it for a doorbell, or even a burglar alarm.

Accompanying us among the trees of Sant'Elena is Emanuele Stival (author, together with Mauro Bon, of "The ornithological atlas of the municipality of Venice") from the association Venezia Birdwatching (VE BW). Understanding how the many different species from brackish, coastal, river, forest, or even urban environments coexist within the same area reminds us of the complexity of the balanced ecosystem in which we live.

Program

Before the start of the walk, at 8pm, participants are invited to join a tasting moment that forms part of the "Convivial Table: Sapid Soil" cycle. "Sapid Soil: Halophice-cream" is the second culinary intervention curated by The Tidal Garden in collaboration with Gelatoteca Suso.

8pm | Culinary intervention curated by The Tidal Garden with Gelatoteca Suso.

8:30pm | Start of the walk from Ocean Space.

Venezia Birdwatching

The association Venezia Birdwatching, active since 2015 in Venice, mainly aims to spread the activity of observation and recognition of birds in nature, along with acquiring useful knowledge for the protection and regeneration of nature, the environment and birdlife, plant life, and other animal species (both vertebrates and invertebrates), as well as to monitor any changes in populations and/or environments. The association organizes numerous excursions, but also runs courses and cultural activities related to the natural world and understanding of the ecosystem.

Emanuele Stival

Born in Gaggio di Marcon but based in Favaro Veneto for years, Emanuele Stival is the President of the association Venezia Birdwatching. He is dedicated to ornithological research, nature photography and birdwatching. He is the author of scientific articles and publications, especially ornithological atlases, and his photographs have been published in numerous magazines and books.

THE LAGOON / HAS THE MOON / BETWEEN ITS LEGS / PLAYING BALL

Part of the cycle “Venice as a model for the future? - The lagoon / has the moon / between its legs / playing ball”.

"Venice as a model for the future” is a cycle of itinerant conversations, curated by Barbara Casavecchia and Pietro Consolandi and guided by activists, scientists, and guardians of this body of water and its inhabitants. This year's series, titled “The lagoon / has the moon / between its legs / playing ball” (again inspired by a poem by Etel Adnan), moves into the twilight and the silence of the night, exploring how humans and more than humans co-exist in Venice and its lagoon after dark.