Not a trace of the river in sight. It flows to the left of the path, between deep artificial banks. Nature reserve Oasi del Simeto.
Not a trace of the river in sight. It flows to the left of the path, between deep artificial banks. Nature reserve Oasi del Simeto.
Photo by Paolo Gruppuso.
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Gruppuso, Paolo, and Erika Garozzo. “Walking a Sicilian River.” Springs: The Rachel Carson Center Review, no. 7 (May 2025).
On the sandy shoreline of eastern Sicily, the Simeto River meets the Ionian Sea against the dramatic backdrop of the volcano Etna. Groves of reeds surround small seawater coves nestled among the dunes. Seagulls fish and ducks hide in reedbeds along the riverbank. Walking on the beach accompanied by the sound of the waves makes us feel part of that windy and solitary landscape. We are here as researchers on the EU-funded project “BIOTraCes: Biodiversity and Transformative Change for Plural and Nature-Positive Societies.” Our branch of the project, based at the University of Catania, aims to work with local communities to facilitate social change that may enhance socioecological relationships with the Simeto River. (From the article)
This article was originally published in Springs: The Rachel Carson Center Review. Springs is an online publication featuring peer-reviewed articles, creative nonfiction, and artistic contributions that showcase the work of the Rachel Carson Center and its community across the world.
2025 Paolo Gruppuso and Erika Garozzo
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