Murgia Matera represents the western end of the Murge Puglia: it looks like a mighty relief limestone emerging from a more gentle hills .
Based on the limestone base to turn layers of Plio-Pleistocene calcarenites (Gravina calcarenite), whose thickness can reach the 50 m.
Morphological elements of great impact on the landscape are given by the erosion furrows that variously shape the plateau;
among all, The most spectacular is the "Gravina di Matera", example of a canyon of 70 ~ 80 ml of deep rich lateral meanders and tributaries, that has sub-vertical walls and vaults and terraces shaped by bumps, small isolated peaks, pinnacles, hanging valleys etc..
The area of Murgia Timone, where is the park visitor center, was once part of an island formed by sediments of limestone (Altamura Limestone - Cretaceous 70 million years ago).
The sides of this island, part of a vast archipelago, were later covered by carbonate deposits, known by the name of "tuff", yellowish when they are visible to the naked eye fragments of macrofossils.
(Gravina calcarenite - Pliocene - Pleistocene about 2 million years ago).
From "Piazzale Belvedere"is easily identifiable boundary between the two configurations represented by the panoramic road junction of two districts "Sassi".
Tuff because of its porosity, determined by numerous gaps that separate the granules, itself so easily through water;
limestone in the water because they have access, is essential to the presence of cracks.
These characters have helped the karst phenomenon, through the erosive action of water has resulted in aggressive forms such as typical: Roadway fields, Valley, numerous sinkholes and caves that dot the plateau.
But the clearest sign, geological evolution of millions of years, is the deep gorge carved into the rock: The Gravina of Matera, crossed homonymous river valleys and its related.

Materacea
A key objective of a Regional Park is, over the conservation and sustainable exploitation of places, their use for educational. The Archaeological Park, Natural Rock Churches of Matera, as evidenced by his own name, is characterized by a multitude of issues, whose direct knowledge, in a globalized world, can help younger generations to strengthen the sense of belonging to local communities, and get involved to contribute towards environmental sustainability manager.

Help establish the park as institutions engaged in cultural growth of the territory has been the focus of the Center for Environmental Education in Matera, since its inception under the experimental direct management of the Park of the Murgia Matera 2002 to the 2005 and oriented to building a business plan cultural.

And just in March 2005 at the end of startup financing, developed from the technical support of Development Italy Basilicata cultural enterprise Materacea Ltd.. 's outsourcing of service, in accordance with the guidelines contained in the Park Plan and the directions of the Municipality of Matera and the Basilicata region. The challenge to be with Materacea, to develop the experience of the team in Environmental Education,alongside additional services for sustainable tourism. A major challenge to build a management model efficiently, economically sustainable and transferable to the visitor centers for future activities in the park.

Visit the Official Web Site of Matera Environmental Education Center www.ceamatera.it