Dolomites

I am so tall that my pointy peaks tickle the clouds. When the sun wakes up, it paints me in pretty pink and orange colors that glow for everyone to see. I live in a beautiful, sunny country called Italy, where I watch over green valleys and little towns. My pointy tops look like a crown made of stone, sparkling in the light. I love to watch the little birds fly high above me, and I listen to the wind whisper secrets through my rocky cliffs. People say I am one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. I am the Dolomites.

I have a secret. A very, very long time ago, over 250 million years ago, I was not a tall mountain at all. I was deep under the water. I was a warm, sparkly sea where tiny sea creatures and colorful corals lived. The earth is very strong. It wiggled and pushed and slowly, slowly, it lifted me up, up, up into the sky. A long time later, in the year 1791, a curious scientist came to visit me. His name was Déodat de Dolomieu, and he saw that my rock was special. He gave my pretty rock its name, dolomite, and that is how I got my name, too.

Now, I am a giant playground for everyone to enjoy. In the warm summer, families come to walk on my paths and see the beautiful flowers that grow on my slopes. They laugh and have picnics in my green meadows. In the winter, I wear a soft, white blanket of snow, and children ski and slide down my hills. It makes me so happy to hear their joyful shouts. In the year 2009, people decided I was a very special treasure that must be protected forever. I am here to remind you of the world’s ancient wonders and to be a happy place for you to explore.