Parque Witeck - history
It was acquired an area of 100 ha in 1962 by the doctor and environmentalist Acido Witeck. The area was treated of a land degraded by the intensive creation of cattle, successive burned and deforestation in the native reserve of the area. The land presented uneven relief, with erosion and without any recovery perspective. In 1966, in a space of 10ha, the first trees were planted at a wood near the farm, as well as it was made the first reservoir of water that is today the Delighted Lake.
In 1967 the changes in the scenery began in front of the old property and in 1976 the first conifers originating from Asia, Europe, Oceania and North America were planted. In 1977 more than 20 ha that would be the “Parque Witeck” and the first thematic islands were constituted, according to the characteristics of the plants (native, deciduous trees, conifers, palm trees). In 1991 the area of the Park passed to 70ha, that is the present-day area. At this time a greenhouse was built to shelter the most sensitive palm trees to the low temperatures. That greenhouse does not exist anymore due to the adaptative process of the referred palm trees. The morphology of the land, the flora, the fauna, the hydric resources and the men’s action are elements that constitute the scenery nowadays and characterize the Park. The number of existent botanical species in the area today it is about 2100 species, among trees, bushes and coverings, as many native as exotic. A nursery of production of seedlings allows the replacement of the species in the Park and the commercialization of some of them.
It was given in 2007 a special attention to the presence of animals, being in process the identification of birds and spiders that live in the Park. The visit in the area is made through trails demarcated along the tracks that are interlinked to the several retreats: of Peace, European, the decidous trees and to the lakes: Delighted, Magic, Peace and Great Mirror of the Sky. The lakes Black and Savage are not open to the public because they are preservation areas.
