Reconnecting with nature
CF "Sugherete del Golfo"
Consorzio Forestale Sugherete del Golfo
The Consortium is an association of owners of very small abandoned agro-urban cork oak forests that, through scientific research, urban forestry managing plan, environmental education, professional training and communication to local communities, seeks to restore these urban agro-forestry ecosystems that, due to abandonment (the Consortium's field of action is located in a disadvantaged area of the Campania Region, which is experiencing strong depopulation) and climate change, are degrading.
Italy
Local
Gulf of Policastro and Velia
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Yes
2025-01-31
Yes
FEASR 2014-2020
Yes
EWA EIT FOOD IT
No
As a representative of an organisation
The project essentially aims to restore abandoned urban agro-forestry ecosystem, which is an important endemic for local communities. More precisely, this ecosystem is a set of groves, some larger than others, of cork oak, in the center of Policastro's and Velia's Gulf, between rural houses and city centers. They represent the beating heart of the local greenery and are also a symbol of this territory. In this regard, it's important to specify that, within the Campania Region, the cork oak is present only in this territory, thus defining a rare landscape. This is an evergreen plant so with its foliage it can counteract the beating action of rainwater and generate shade and cooler microclimates, especially during the summer, with its roots can retain the soil from erosive problems, but, above all, it gives vital oxygen to many other living beings, including humans. Given the vital ecosystem services produced and the unique landscape beauty, it's important that the cork oaks present in the gardens of homes or schools, at the edges of fields, or in the woods of this territory, are preserved, which means taking care of them, also because it is a plant that has evolved in close contact with man and suffers abandonment, especially in conjunction with climate change.
The target group mainly includes the owners of cork oak forests; secondarily, citizens and local users.
The project saw: first the establishment of the Consortium, uniting 38 local owners; then it carried out awareness-raising activities, through recreational-educational meetings aimed at children, teenagers and adults, or informative, such as seminars and conferences; it started physiological-climatic scientific research activities; and the drafting of the management plan for agronomic interventions in the consortium areas. All this was necessary to begin to restructure the connections between local inhabitants and native cork oaks, and build together a healthier and more sustainable environment.
The target group mainly includes the owners of cork oak forests; secondarily, citizens and local users.
The project saw: first the establishment of the Consortium, uniting 38 local owners; then it carried out awareness-raising activities, through recreational-educational meetings aimed at children, teenagers and adults, or informative, such as seminars and conferences; it started physiological-climatic scientific research activities; and the drafting of the management plan for agronomic interventions in the consortium areas. All this was necessary to begin to restructure the connections between local inhabitants and native cork oaks, and build together a healthier and more sustainable environment.
nature
community
cork oak
urban agro-forestry
healthy connection renovating
The key objectives of this project in terms of sustainability are essentially two: to deepen scientific research on the functioning of this plant considering the ongoing climate changes and to create an intervention plan for the restoration of the related urban agro-forestry ecosystems.
More precisely, with regard to the first objective, the Consortium has set itself the limit of intervening on the local cork oak plants only after having achieved greater awareness of the functioning of this plant. To do this, it was necessary to install meteorological stations and tree talkers on sample areas and, thanks to the collaboration of the University of Vanvitelli, a series of correlations between the weather trend and the physiological activities of the analyzed plants are underway.
As for the second objective, precisely on the basis of the first observations, it was possible to understand which arboricultural interventions are best to implement and with which time sequence, such as carrying out localized clearing of shrubs close to the cork oak tree, carrying out containment or breeding pruning before a lowering of the atmospheric conditions (especially for plants that are found inside gardens), carrying out a reduced decortication and only in the warm-humid temperate periods. All these technical-scientific considerations have been included in the Management Plan, so as to also be able to draw up a sustainable program of future interventions, that is, aimed at not further damaging the ecosystemic fragility of these environments but, on the contrary, reinvigorating them. Furthermore, the plan has been set up according to the criteria of sustainable management, deducible from the FSC or PEFC standards.
The project can be exemplary because it carries out material action activities after a thorough analysis, such as research activities, in order to be more aware of the environmental consequences.
More precisely, with regard to the first objective, the Consortium has set itself the limit of intervening on the local cork oak plants only after having achieved greater awareness of the functioning of this plant. To do this, it was necessary to install meteorological stations and tree talkers on sample areas and, thanks to the collaboration of the University of Vanvitelli, a series of correlations between the weather trend and the physiological activities of the analyzed plants are underway.
As for the second objective, precisely on the basis of the first observations, it was possible to understand which arboricultural interventions are best to implement and with which time sequence, such as carrying out localized clearing of shrubs close to the cork oak tree, carrying out containment or breeding pruning before a lowering of the atmospheric conditions (especially for plants that are found inside gardens), carrying out a reduced decortication and only in the warm-humid temperate periods. All these technical-scientific considerations have been included in the Management Plan, so as to also be able to draw up a sustainable program of future interventions, that is, aimed at not further damaging the ecosystemic fragility of these environments but, on the contrary, reinvigorating them. Furthermore, the plan has been set up according to the criteria of sustainable management, deducible from the FSC or PEFC standards.
The project can be exemplary because it carries out material action activities after a thorough analysis, such as research activities, in order to be more aware of the environmental consequences.
The main objective in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people was to create a social capital that was more aware of the aesthetic value of this natural element that identifies the territory. This value does not only translate into aesthetic beauty, which it does have, but also into the ecosystem healthiness of local communities.
The creation of the consortium started a beginning of territorial social cohesion since, right from the constitution, the 38 founding members had to meet at the notary's office, and subsequently, in the various assembly meetings. This allowed the creation of new human relationships but also the exchange of knowledge on local natural resources. Furthermore, during the dissemination events, the members had the opportunity to meet with many other non-owner citizens, increasing knowledge of the cultural value of the cork oak also through playful-educational approaches.
Another method with which an increase in local awareness was achieved was to organize thematic artistic competitions. More precisely, an art competition was announced for art high school students, and a photography competition for adults, both focused on themes representative of the current conditions of the cork ecosystems of the Gulf and, as has been tested in other contexts, the creation of artistic events and their sharing is a factor in promoting individual well-being (from physical health to life satisfaction) and social cohesion, to favor access and development of social capital, both individual and local community. Therefore, opting for cooperative activities with creative approaches is extremely functional in this context.
The creation of the consortium started a beginning of territorial social cohesion since, right from the constitution, the 38 founding members had to meet at the notary's office, and subsequently, in the various assembly meetings. This allowed the creation of new human relationships but also the exchange of knowledge on local natural resources. Furthermore, during the dissemination events, the members had the opportunity to meet with many other non-owner citizens, increasing knowledge of the cultural value of the cork oak also through playful-educational approaches.
Another method with which an increase in local awareness was achieved was to organize thematic artistic competitions. More precisely, an art competition was announced for art high school students, and a photography competition for adults, both focused on themes representative of the current conditions of the cork ecosystems of the Gulf and, as has been tested in other contexts, the creation of artistic events and their sharing is a factor in promoting individual well-being (from physical health to life satisfaction) and social cohesion, to favor access and development of social capital, both individual and local community. Therefore, opting for cooperative activities with creative approaches is extremely functional in this context.
In this project, the first objective in terms of inclusiveness was to not exclude any territorial and human dimension. To do this, no limiting categorization was included in the constitutive act. Furthermore, even in the case of little participation and interest from public bodies, it was decided to independently carry out the various awareness-raising activities in each of the Municipalities where the cork oak is present; in the same way, no age group was excluded, organizing events for children, teenagers and adults. Furthermore, within some activities, people with disabilities were involved, such as blind people or those with psychiatric problems. More precisely, among the recreational-educational activities, a blind girl was involved who was able to become passionate about the project to the point of wanting to contribute financially, and in the case of communication activities, some photos were taken by a boy with serious depression problems. Both of these last two participations were managed by two local social associations, so the involvement of non-profit associations focused on supporting people with difficulties was fundamental, to make the project more active in terms of inclusiveness.
They have benefited above all in intangible terms from a greater awareness of the environmental and cultural value of this tree that characterizes the local nature, even in its most anthropic version.
To contact the founding citizens, a technical work was first carried out to reconstruct the cadastral data in which the cork oaks are located, subsequently through an investigation based mainly on the exchange of contacts and information, the owners of the assets were traced, personally proposing the project idea to them.
All the other citizens involved in the activities of education, awareness, territorial animation, were involved partly through the exchange of words, partly through the use of social networks, partly through the involvement of local non-profit associations of hiking, European exchanges and social promotion.
To contact the founding citizens, a technical work was first carried out to reconstruct the cadastral data in which the cork oaks are located, subsequently through an investigation based mainly on the exchange of contacts and information, the owners of the assets were traced, personally proposing the project idea to them.
All the other citizens involved in the activities of education, awareness, territorial animation, were involved partly through the exchange of words, partly through the use of social networks, partly through the involvement of local non-profit associations of hiking, European exchanges and social promotion.
The stakeholders were essentially the citizens who benefited or were affected by the project, for which we can refer to the previous paragraph.
The disciplines involved were many and the related connections countless: botanical physiology, phytopathology, psycho-socio-econometrics, urban agro-forestry ecology, narrative communication, videomaking marketing, non-formal education, pedagogy, playful teaching, cooperative planning. The interaction between these disciplines created a great harmony and amplified the field of action of the project reaching other Italian realities and in recent months also European ones.
Usually a forestry consortium brings together large forest owners and tends to estimate the resources present in a very material way to understand how much to extract according to a timetable; for example, a classic forestry consortium would not have been born in this context, because the areas of interest are small, sometimes extremely small like a few square meters of a private garden, and the raw material "cork" is of very poor quality and is therefore not profitable to date.
The innovative elements of this project are various:
- first of all, the establishment of an associative form in a Region where there are no other forestry consortia and where, moreover, there is a deep-rooted psycho-cultural problem in having confidence in associative and cooperative forms;
- uniting in a legally private and associative body owners of land of any size and use, where however the cork oak, the indigenous natural species that is the object of the project, is located;
- preserve the cork oak not through a restrictive approach but by trying to respond to its physiological needs, that is, by taking care of it;
- encourage care as a non-formal educational model;
- involve children, teenagers and adults from all the municipalities where this plant lives in educational or recreational activities so that human resources can join forces with natural resources and thus create a Consortium that does not only pay attention to material aspects but to the social and environmental value of local nature.
The innovative elements of this project are various:
- first of all, the establishment of an associative form in a Region where there are no other forestry consortia and where, moreover, there is a deep-rooted psycho-cultural problem in having confidence in associative and cooperative forms;
- uniting in a legally private and associative body owners of land of any size and use, where however the cork oak, the indigenous natural species that is the object of the project, is located;
- preserve the cork oak not through a restrictive approach but by trying to respond to its physiological needs, that is, by taking care of it;
- encourage care as a non-formal educational model;
- involve children, teenagers and adults from all the municipalities where this plant lives in educational or recreational activities so that human resources can join forces with natural resources and thus create a Consortium that does not only pay attention to material aspects but to the social and environmental value of local nature.
The methodology applied to this project was trans-disciplinary and cooperative, which can be translated into approaching the theme of "recovery of community urban agro-forests" through scientific, psycho-socio-economic and ecological research, non-formal education, recreational-scientific dissemination, technical-scientific planning.
Scientific and psycho-socio-economic research to essentially address a problem: abandonment, trying to understand what caused it and what causes it. More precisely, this research consisted in understanding what happens inside these plants due to abandonment and ongoing climate changes through the study of the vital activities of the plant and their correlation with the weather trend; with the second, instead, we tried to understand what is the local perception of this plant and what are the apparent reasons why it was abandoned.
Non-formal education and recreational-scientific dissemination was carried out through different types of meetings depending on the target:
- interactive lessons on the recognition of cork oak, direct contact through the use of the various senses with the cork material, both raw and transformed, for elementary and middle school classes;
- interactive lessons similar to the previous ones but with more complex information and with an in-depth analysis with a psychologist on the importance of taking care for high school students;
- meetings for adults through the transformation of traditional games, such as bingo, on the theme of cork oak
- meetings for adults with researchers and managers of the sector interspersed with thematic artistic moments.
The technical-scientific planning saw the participation of all local forestry technicians and the approach used was that of a punctual census.
Scientific and psycho-socio-economic research to essentially address a problem: abandonment, trying to understand what caused it and what causes it. More precisely, this research consisted in understanding what happens inside these plants due to abandonment and ongoing climate changes through the study of the vital activities of the plant and their correlation with the weather trend; with the second, instead, we tried to understand what is the local perception of this plant and what are the apparent reasons why it was abandoned.
Non-formal education and recreational-scientific dissemination was carried out through different types of meetings depending on the target:
- interactive lessons on the recognition of cork oak, direct contact through the use of the various senses with the cork material, both raw and transformed, for elementary and middle school classes;
- interactive lessons similar to the previous ones but with more complex information and with an in-depth analysis with a psychologist on the importance of taking care for high school students;
- meetings for adults through the transformation of traditional games, such as bingo, on the theme of cork oak
- meetings for adults with researchers and managers of the sector interspersed with thematic artistic moments.
The technical-scientific planning saw the participation of all local forestry technicians and the approach used was that of a punctual census.
This project can be replicated in all other contexts where natural greenery is extremely fragmented and, especially if it faces phytopathological problems due to climate change, or even simply to prevent the loss of biodiversity, an identifying and important greenery for the inhabitants where it is present. A fundamental aspect in transferability is first and foremost the applied methodology which, first of all, has its basis in a non-formal cooperative and trans-disciplinary educational approach.
First of all, make people understand that taking care of our environment means taking care of ourselves and future generations. Consequently, the main challenge is to create a community that grows on the principles of proactive sustainability and that has the tools to strengthen itself in times of extreme environmental and socio-economic changes.
The main result was to bring citizens’ attention back to the existence of this natural resource and how extremely important it is even if “it is not communicated out loud”. The benefits consisted mainly in the acquisition of awareness which in turn led to the increased ability of citizens to make daily choices aware that this plant “is not useless”.
