Umbria - nature

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)

Bee Beetle (Trichius fasciatus)

Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula)

Sword-leaved helleborine (Cephalanthera longifolia)

Fly Orchid (Ophrys insectifera)

Umbria - locations close to home

Our home is in Umbria but close to the borders with Lazio and Tuscany - Italian provinces with a very different flavour...Tuscany can seem rather laundered, Umbria is less so and Lazio can be positively chaotic (which is why we love it).

Within reach of home we have a handful of locations that continue to amaze us with their biodiversity. There is a limestone hillside near Torrealfina that has 25+ species of orchid and numerous insects, Close by lies Il Sasseto an ancient woodland of rare beauty where gnarled trees push through giant boulders and the fungi are astonishing. Then, a couple of kilometres away, lies a 'stagno', a traditional watering hole for animals. Many of these have been filled in but this one is a habitat for reptiles, amphibians (eg. tree frogs and crested newts) and numerous dragonfly species.

These are the places we use when we run our courses geared to macro work - close to home and amazingly rich in photogenic subjects.

HIDDEN WORLDS