Events and News

The Nature Restoration Law: technical evidence for the drafting of the national restoration plan

The meeting will provide an opportunity for dialogue between European and Italian experiences, with the aim of promoting the exchange of good practices and critical reflections on the operational and knowledge-related challenges that lie ahead in the coming years.

The morning will be structured into two sessions. In the first session, the meeting will host (online) speakers from several European countries, who will share their approaches and strategies for drafting their National Restoration Plans. The discussion will focus on how each country is addressing key challenges—such as setting measurable targets, integrating biodiversity and climate objectives, ensuring effective governance, and engaging stakeholders. This comparative perspective will help highlight the diversity of national contexts and the overarching European vision underpinning the Nature Restoration Regulation.

The second session will be dedicated to the Italian context. Speakers involved in the preparation of the Italian National Restoration Plan will discuss the critical issues and opportunities of the ongoing process.

Natural Map: the map of the Umbria region is available

As part of the work on the creation of Italy’s Nature Map, the update of the habitat map and the related ecological-environmental assessments for the Umbria region is now available on the ISPRA website.

The products were developed by ISPRA following the methodological review and the update of the Legend.

The updated map includes 111 different habitat types and 48,534 ecotopes.

The cartography can be viewed on the ISPRA Geoportal or requested free of charge in shapefile format through the dedicated online form.

WOLFNETxT project conference

"Research, Experiences, Best Practices. National Parks and the Wolf in Italy"

WOLFNExT is a network of National Parks that looks to the future of the wolf in Italy in light of the significant ecological changes that have driven the species' expansion into areas where it had disappeared for decades. These changes often create new interfaces, requiring appropriate and increasingly advanced operational capabilities. Last but not least, they suggest adaptive solutions and effective communication with various stakeholders.

MEET-FUNGI: the project and the 2026 initiatives dedicated to fungal biodiversity officially kick off

On 31 January 2026, the launch event of the MEET-FUNGI project will take place in Valle Camonica (Lombardy). The project is coordinated by Federparchi, with the support of Fondazione Cariplo, and involves ISPRA as a partner alongside MicoCosmo and the Valle Camonica Mountain Community.

Following the launch event, a structured programme of outreach and training initiatives will begin and continue throughout 2026. These activities will include mycological excursions, workshops, and awareness-raising initiatives, open to the public and aimed at a broad and diverse audience.

The census of overwintering waterbirds celebrates its first 60 years

Coordinated in Italy by ISPRA, the Wetlands International project promotes the counting of waterbirds around mid-January across the entire European territory.

From 6 to 25 January 2026, surveys of overwintering waterbirds are being carried out in more than 2,000 Italian wetlands as part of the International Waterbird Census (IWC) project. The project is coordinated by ISPRA and relies on a network of over 500 expert surveyors and around 1,500 collaborators distributed throughout the country. With more than 30 years of continuous activity across the entire national territory, the IWC surveys represent one of Italy’s longest-running research projects, and certainly the leading one in terms of geographical coverage and regularity.

The 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of the IWC censuses.

The first phase of genetic monitoring of the Marsican brown bear has been completed

Analysis of over eight hundred hair samples collected in the area of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park to estimate population size

The first phase of genetic monitoring of the Marsican brown bear has been successfully completed, with the aim of estimating as accurately as possible the population size of one of Europe’s rarest mammals. The activity took place within the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, where 854 hair samples were collected and will now be analyzed by specialized laboratories.

To obtain these samples, “scent traps” were set up to attract bears to rubbing posts and around berry patches—environments where they find fruit to feed on. Thanks to more than four hundred installations, genetic material was collected for biomolecular analyses, which will make it possible to estimate both the size of the population and the species’ distribution range, in historically occupied areas as well as in zones of more recent colonization.

2026 Calendar of the National Biodiversity Network

The 2026 calendar of the National Biodiversity Network is illustrated with drawings and photographs created as part of educational activities and citizen science initiatives promoted by the Network.

ISPRA project for schools: “Botanical iconography as a tool for knowledge and environmental awareness.”

“Biodiversity in Pose” project: a citizen science initiative aimed at reporting the presence of plant and animal species across the national territory.

Download the calendar in pdf 

The Red Sea mullet has established itself in Lampedusa

Fishermen on the island are increasingly catching specimens of this alien species, which arrived in the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.
Initially observed only in deep waters, it has recently also been found along the coastal belt—an indication that suggests a stable establishment in the area, as has already occurred with other alien species such as the brown rabbitfish and the cornetfish.
ISPRA is closely monitoring the evolution of the phenomenon in order to assess interactions with native species and potential impacts on the ecosystem.
The collaboration of fishermen is crucial, as they provide valuable information to the scientific community

The European project Life Sea.Net concluded

A toolkit featuring operational tools to support managing authorities in the governance of protected areas has been presented.
The Italian marine Natura 2000 network can become the cornerstone of a new model of sea governance: effective, coordinated, participatory, and capable of protecting biodiversity, strengthening local economies, and making coastal communities more resilient.

Protecting migratory marine species such as the Mediterranean monk seal and the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) will now be easier thanks to cooperation among transboundary states, as will identifying the most appropriate management solutions and defining suitable measures for the conservation of sensitive habitats or species, in coordination with national and international administrations. But that is not all. It will also be easier to promote participatory and shared processes to expand the Natura 2000 Network—an extraordinary tool for biodiversity protection and a driver of the Blue Economy. Protected areas, in fact, stabilize ecosystems, ensuring natural resources for sustainable activities and fostering innovation, circular economy practices, and integrated territorial management.

ISPRA–Nebrodi Park Agreement for Biodiversity Monitoring

ISPRA and the Nebrodi Park Authority have signed a three-year agreement for the development of joint activities focused on monitoring, studying, and conserving biodiversity within the territory of the Nebrodi Park.

The collaboration combines ISPRA’s scientific expertise with the institutional and management role of the Park Authority and focuses on two key components of the Park’s ecosystems: mycological diversity, with particular reference to macrofungi, and the faunal component, especially avifauna of conservation interest.

Activities related to mycological biodiversity are carried out within a dedicated Network coordinated by ISPRA and include field surveys, the collection of ecological data using standardized protocols, validation of information through the Fungi Information System (SIF), and the preservation of specimens in the ISPRA database. The results will contribute to expanding and making more consistent the knowledge of the Park’s fungal diversity.

Final event LIFE SEA.NET project

The final conference of the Life Sea.Net Project, of which ISPRA is the main scientific partner, will be held on Wednesday, December 17, at Palazzo Falletti, Via Panisperna 207, in the Throne Room.

Project partners, institutional actors, and stakeholders will discuss the role of the Natura 2000 Network in protecting biodiversity and developing a sustainable blue economy.

The conference is divided into two sessions: the first will present the project's actions, the main results achieved, and the operational tools developed to support the management of Natura 2000 sites; the second will illustrate the management methods of the Natura 2000 Network and its role in achieving EU objectives.

The two sessions will conclude with a roundtable discussion on future prospects for marine protected areas.

Program

Project web site 

Presented Global Environment Outlook 7: A future we choose

The Executive Summary of the seventh edition of UNEP's Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) was presented today in Nairobi, where the seventh United Nations General Assembly for the Environment (UNEA-7) is underway.

GEO-7, UNEP's flagship document, assesses the state of the environment at the global, regional, and national levels, highlighting interconnected crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, pollution, and waste. The report integrates scientific data, forecasting scenarios, and socioeconomic analyses, proposing solutions based on the circular economy, energy transition, and sustainable food systems.

287 scientists from various disciplines from 82 countries participated in the drafting process, supported by over 800 reviewers to ensure scientific accuracy. Twelve Italian authors are among the authors, including three young scientists who participated in GEO-7 as fellows.

ISPRA partner of the SEALIFE Project

Strengthening cooperation to develop joint solutions for the protection of the Mediterranean monk seal in the program area

As part of the European Territorial Cooperation Programme Interreg Greece-Italy 2021/2027, SEALIFE, a cross-border project dedicated to the protection of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), one of the world's most endangered mammal species, is launched. The initiative aims to develop innovative strategies for the conservation of the monk seal in the Ionian and Adriatic Seas.

Guidelines for the Rescue and Rehabilitation of Bats published

The guidelines serve as a technical and methodological reference tool for all wildlife rescue centers and provide updated and standardized guidance on the proper procedures for handling bats during the rescue and rehabilitation of individuals found in distress. The document includes a general introductory section, admission criteria, housing and husbandry methods, a medical handbook, examples of surgical procedures, and protocols for managing the most common diseases, as well as criteria for assessing suitability for release into the wild and the procedures for release.

It also includes a section dedicated to the management of exotic species

“The right place for the right tree.”

The central theme of the meeting will be an analysis of the challenges previously posed by EU regulations on arboriculture and, more recently, by the Climate Decree and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). Even more importantly, it will address the challenges that will soon arise from the implementation of the Nature Restoration Law, the increasing occurrence of natural disturbances, and the growing awareness of the importance of trees and woodlands in Urban and Peri-urban Forests (as defined by the National Public Green Strategy, 2018).

These are proposals and activities already anticipated and clearly outlined in the National Forest Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy, which the national nursery sector—both public and private—must take on in order to be prepared, in an innovative and sustainable way, for the massive future demand for young plants belonging to woody flora (particularly tree and shrub species, but also herbaceous species), both native and non-native. This is especially relevant given the past dismantling of public nurseries which, however, have survived locally through excellent initiatives that can serve as a starting point, as demonstrated by the recent success of the FOR.TREE NURSERY project, carried out by Fondazione Alberitaia ETS at the proposal of the CNR within the framework of the National Future Biodiversity Centre.

Smart management of green spaces for resilient, sustainable, and livable cities

Green areas provide numerous ecosystem services that are essential for the quality of the urban environment and for the well-being of city residents, including the reduction of the urban heat island effect, the absorption of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, and the creation of opportunities for social interaction and physical activity.
The European Union, with Regulation 2024/1991 on nature restoration, has introduced specific measures for the restoration of urban green areas, requiring Member States to achieve zero net loss of urban green spaces at the national level between 2024 and 2030, and to progressively increase their extent from 2031 onwards, including through integration into buildings and infrastructure.
Technical and management solutions can help improve the maintenance and use of urban green spaces, reducing costs for public administrations, generating environmental benefits such as water savings, and supporting the active involvement of citizens in caring for their local areas.

Final conference LIFE SeaForest project

ISPRA is hosting the final meeting of the European LIFE SeaForest project, dedicated to the conservation and restoration of the priority marine habitat H1120*: Posidonia oceanica meadows.
The event will be an important opportunity for international discussion and dissemination of the results achieved.
The conference can also be followed online, with simultaneous Italian-English translation available.

The project, coordinated by D.R.E.Am. Italia together with ISPRA, CNR, University of Tuscia, Carbonsink, Paragon Europe, and three National Parks (Asinara, La Maddalena Archipelago and Cilento, Vallo di Diano, and Alburni), has implemented and tested concrete actions to reduce the degradation of Posidonia oceanica meadows.

Cathedrals of Nature

First day dedicated to the “care of creation” through the promotion of “monumental trees” as part of the “National Tree Day”

On the occasion of the National Tree Day, the Committee for the Development of Public Green Spaces of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and the Ministry of Agriculture are organizing a meeting dedicated to “monumental trees”, which stand as true “Cathedrals of Nature.” In fact, the Cultural Heritage and Landscape Code (Legislative Decree 42/2004) defines these trees, under Article 136, as “among the immovable things possessing outstanding characteristics of natural beauty.”

Urban Ecology: A Journal for Nature in the City

The issue of the magazine Ecologia Urbana is available online, which takes up and delves into the experience of two ISPRA researchers who, as part of the Path for Transversal Skills and Orientation (PCTO) promoted by the National Biodiversity Network, detected the presence of a rare mushroom, Rhodotus palmatus, within the Natural Monument of the "Fosso della Cecchignola" managed by the RomaNatura Agency.

Final event Life CONCEPTU MARIS

The final event of Life CONCEPTU MARIS (In Defense of the Giants of the Mediterranean - Life Conceptu Maris), consisting of two days—one technical and one informative—will present the main results achieved in four years of activity.

The first day, scheduled for November 25th, will be open to the technical and scientific community, members of the maritime sector Advisory Board, and the network of related projects formed during CONCEPTU MARIS. The event will share and discuss the results of monitoring activities conducted along 17 routes in the Western Mediterranean and the Adriatic Region, with the collaboration of seven shipping companies and eleven partners from Spain, France, and Italy. Together, they will build a bridge to the project's future.

Trees in the urban environment: new scenarios and old critical issues”

A deeper look in light of EU Regulation 2024/1991
National Tree Day

The European Regulation on nature restoration, particularly in Article 8, addresses the issue of improving urban ecosystems, requiring Member States to ensure that, by 2030, no national area of urban green space is lost and emphasizing the need to preserve and increase urban tree cover. Important challenges are therefore posed for green infrastructure in urban ecosystems—challenges for which Italy is not entirely unprepared, as the last decade has seen the consolidation of a regulatory and strategic framework that has increased awareness among technicians and administrators of the environmental and social role of trees and green spaces in cities, as well as the importance of their proper planning and management. Nevertheless, it is clear that efforts must be accelerated, with greater focus on expanding green and blue areas to create cities that are more inclusive, livable, and resilient to the impacts of climate change.

National Tree Day

National Tree Day, established by the Ministry of the Environment and recognized by Article 1 of Law No. 10 of January 14, 2013, is celebrated every November 21st throughout Italy. Its aim is to promote the care and appreciation of trees and to remember the essential role of forests and urban greenery in our ecosystem.
Every tree supports life on the planet, providing shelter, food, water, wood, fiber, medicine, gum, and resin.

Report on alien species in Italy: status, legislation, and countermeasures

At the request of the Wildlife Hunting Technical Committee, ISPRA has produced an updated and concise national overview of the phenomenon of alien species in Italy, illustrating the state of knowledge, documented impacts, main routes of introduction, the current regulatory framework, and the countermeasures currently implemented.

30 Years of AEWA: A Milestone of Cooperation for the Protection of Migratory Waterbirds

Three decades of joint efforts between countries, institutions, and the scientific community to protect waterbirds along the African-Eurasian flyway

The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) turns 30. This international agreement, signed in 1995 in The Hague, aims to protect migratory waterbirds and their habitats along one of the planet's most important migratory flyways: the African-Eurasian flyway.

Over three decades of activity, AEWA has become a global reference point for international cooperation in biodiversity conservation. Today, it brings together 85 countries across Africa and Eurasia (including the European Union), committed to protecting over 550 populations of 255 species that depend on wetlands for part of their life cycle.

Toward the 2025 National Tree Day

On the occasion of National Tree Day, which will be held on November 21, 2025, the University of Salerno is organizing an event titled "Toward the 2025 National Tree Day", scheduled for Thursday, November 13.

The initiative, promoted in collaboration with the Committee for the Development of Public Green Spaces (CSVP) of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, aims not only to promote the care of trees—recognizing the essential role of forests and urban greenery in the ecosystem—but also, in particular, to foster dialogue with local communities on future prospects, as well as on the experiences gained by the Regions in the census and enhancement of monumental trees.

Nature Restoration: A section dedicated to Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 has been published on the MASE portal.

The Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security is about to publish a new section on its portal dedicated to Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 on Nature Restoration, which entered into force on August 18, 2024. This section will provide a key overview of the binding EU-level targets and the national process undertaken to develop the National Restoration Plan (NRP), a key element for reversing biodiversity loss and strengthening climate resilience.

The development of the NRP, the draft of which must be submitted to the European Commission by 1 September 2026, is based on a robust interinstitutional coordination architecture.

Implementing the Nature Restoration Regulation: Legal Challenges and Opportunities

The conference will bring together experts at national and European levels to analyze the new Nature Restoration Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 and the ambitious and comprehensive habitat and ecosystem restoration obligations it introduces. The program includes roundtable discussions on public participation, agricultural biodiversity, restoration financing, and synergies with other areas of EU environmental policy, such as climate change.

The role of the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano in the study and conservation of animal diversity

The event aims to create an opportunity for numerous researchers who, both in the past and in recent years, have carried out wildlife research on the Estate to meet and discuss the current state of knowledge. This will foster potential collaborations and future projects for wildlife conservation and the enhancement of the Estate.

ISPRA participates in the Life PolliNetWork project

The project's goal is to create a network of ecological corridors, transforming roads, railways, and industrial areas into "Buzz Lines," veritable green highways where bees and butterflies can safely feed and reproduce. By 2030, 88 hectares of natural habitats will be restored in 11 Italian regions, from Sardinia to Piedmont. The project also includes scientific monitoring, educational activities, and citizen science sessions to engage residents, schools, and farmers. The goal is to increase the number of pollinator species by up to 30% over the next five years. Italy, home to one of Europe's richest pollinator communities, thus aims to become a European model of conservation, contributing to the National Biodiversity Strategy and the new European Regulation on nature restoration.

The conservation challenge to reverse biodiversity loss: the role of protected areas and natural resource management

Biodiversity is facing an unprecedented crisis, threatening ecosystems and our very survival, and action is urgent. Protected areas are an essential bulwark for reversing the decline of species, but they are not enough. Conservation efforts must be intensified, integrating protection, restoration, and sustainable management. There is no more time to waste: the future of nature depends on the choices we make today, and each of us can contribute to securing the planet.