Events and News

Technical table established to deal with the rapid spread of the alga Rugulopteryx okamurae

The alga Rugulopteryx okamurae is the first and only macroalgae species to be included in the list of invasive alien species of notable importance of the European Union, whose negative effects on the environment and biodiversity in Europe are so serious as to require intervention concerted effort of the Member States of the Union. It represents one of the main threats to biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems in coastal habitats, with possible repercussions on seaside activities and fishing with financial losses estimated at several million euros.

ISPRA participates in the WOLFNESS Project

Preserving the natural heritage of wolves: a multidisciplinary approach towards effective and socially acceptable management of wolf-dog hybridization across Europe.
WOLFNESS aims to improve the conservation status of the wolf (Canis lupus) in Europe consequently to its re-expansion, not only in natural contexts but also in anthropized areas, where the risk of anthropogenic hybridization between wolves and domestic dogs (WDH) could be high. The project will aim also to shed light on the dynamics of anthropogenic hybridization, to standardize investigation methodologies and improve the management and social acceptance of the phenomeno

Alien invasions: between nutria and fire ants, what is happening, what awaits us in the future and how we must respond to this threat

As part of the Darwin Day Ferrara 2024 initiatives, organized by the Natural History Museum of Ferrara, by the Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology of the University of Ferrara, in collaboration with the Didò Educational Association and with the patronage of the National Association Scientific Museums (ANMS) and the Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology (SIBE), the meeting "Alien invasions: between nutria and fire ants, what is happening, what awaits us in the future and how we must respond" will be held in Ferrara on 15 February to this threat." The Responsibile of the Service for the coordination of ISPRA wildlife activities will participate at the event.

Management of wild boar in PSA emergency: Strategies and good practices

The Lucano Val D'Agri Lagonegrese Apennines National Park is organizing the conference "Management of wild boar in the African swine fever emergency: Strategies and good practices" on 12 February. The meeting acts as a connecting element between emergency management and the adoption of good practices that can transform a risk into an opportunity for the territory.

LIFE Conceptu Maris: the campaign CItizen Science 2004 is starting

The Citizen Science 2024 campaign by LIFE Conceptu Maris officially begins again, thanks to which the citizens most sensitive to the issues addressed by the project, after having attended an online training course, can board the ferries together with the researchers along one of the 17 available routes and thus contribute to the monitoring of cetaceans and turtles.
The main news this year is the opening of the route between the Spanish port of Barcelona and the Moroccan port of Tangier.

Ecce Microforeste, ISPRA participates at the Sapienza University project

The "Ecce Microforeste" workshop on eco-pedagogical microforests will be held on Monday 5 February.
ISPRA participates in the Ecce Microforeste Project on the eco-pedagogical microforests of La Sapienza University with monitoring and support activities in citizen science and citizen engagement actions. ISPRA researchers will be present at the event with scientific contributions and practical experiences. Entrance is free.

The large Italian mammals between reintroductions and spontaneous returns: rereading history, scrutinizing the future

In Italy, most large mammal species are expanding or have recolonized much of the range from which they disappeared in the first half of the twentieth century. On this technical day, the GLAMM - Group for Large Mammals Conservation and Management - aims to reconstruct the history of these returns, through an analysis of the introduction interventions carried out in Italy and the factors that favored the recolonisations or spontaneous expansions. An opportunity to make a critical analysis of what has been done, recompose often fragmented pieces of information, critically identify knowledge gaps and address the challenges for the future with a multidisciplinary approach.

World Wetlands Day 2024

The World Wetland Day next 2 February 

celebrates the signing in 1971 of the International Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.

The Ramsar Convention defines wetlands as “marshes, marshes, peat bogs or reservoirs, natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with stagnant or flowing water, fresh, brackish or salt, including expanses of marine water whose depth, during low tide, does not exceed six metres". The Convention is the only international treaty on the environment that deals with these particular ecosystems which, in addition to hosting and conserving a rich biological diversity of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates, guarantee huge resources of water and food and play a fundamental role in mitigating climate change.

The integrity of these environments is threatened by human activities.

The topic chosen for the 2024 Day is "Wetlands and human well-being".

On Radio3 Scienza an interview with the Responsible of the ISPRA wildlife coordination service

On  Radio3 Scienza of 30 January the Responsible of the ISPRA wildlife coordination service provides data on the situation of wolves in Europe and Italy, what damage  they cause and how we can intervene to mitigate their impacts. It also clarifies what would change if the proposal to change the protection status of the wolf put forward by the European Commission were passed.

The Strong Sea project in Civitavecchia

The aim of the project is to protect and improve the conservation status of protected habitats of Posidonia oceanica meadows and Coralligenous reefs damaged by the presence of Abandoned, Lost or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG). The event will be an opportunity to present to the local population and stakeholders the actions already undertaken in the Gulf of Asinara to face this important challenge. The morning program proposes a series of interventions aimed at deepening not only the objectives of the project but also the replicability actions planned in Corsica and Tuscany; a round table will also be held in the afternoon which will involve researchers and experts from the local maritime and fishing sectors

Will ISPRA researchers be able to replicate the project along the seabed of Civitavecchia affected by the same threat?

Program

Photo gallery

Cetaceans, Maritime Traffic, and Management Tools in the Strait of Gibraltar. Proposals for a Challenging yet Not Impossible Coexistence

The transboundary area of the Strait of Gibraltar is home to seven protected cetacean species and stands as one of the world's marine areas most threatened by high-intensity maritime traffic.

The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) in the area of Parmigiano Reggiano

The European Commission recently reported research conducted by ISPRA as a case study for the use of birds as indicators of biodiversity in intensified agricultural systems.

Position paper “Green infrastructures in cities ten years after the law on urban green spaces"

On 19 December, the Position paper "Green infrastructures in cities ten years after the law on urban green spaces" was released, developed by the ASviS working group on Goal 11 "Sustainable cities and communities".
Ten years after the approval of law n.10 "Regulations for the development of urban green spaces", a "profound turning point" is needed in Italian policies for greenery and biodiversity. Despite the spread of awareness of the importance of urban greenery among local administrations, there has not in fact been an increase in green areas, nor has adequate urban planning been adopted to protect the natural heritage.

Presentation of an integrated management plan for the conservation of Emys orbicularis

The Plan aims to improve the conservation status of Emys orbicularis in Italy and Slovenia - maintaining the genetic diversity of existing populations - and at promoting a cross-border management model for the species. The Plan will be adopted by the Natura 2000 Sites involved in the Project.

Presentation of the Dossier "Stop pesticides on the dish 2023"

Stop pesticides on the dish is the annual report that Legambiente prepares to take stock of the situation on pesticides present in the foods that arrive on the tables of Italians every day. An overview which, again this year, has returned a picture of light and shadow. To clarify the current situation and identify paths through which to reduce the use of pesticides, experts, representatives from the world of research, university professors and doctors were involved in drafting the report.

Po Delta Biodiversity Observatory. Report 2023

The Po Delta Biodiversity Observatory will be held on 15 December in Cannevié. Two ISPRA researchers will participate in the seminar with speeches on the Life Perdix Project and on the monitoring of colonial birds in Punte Alberete, Valli di Argenta and Valli di Comacchio.

Environmental training course "Green and blue infrastructures for more sustainable and resilient cities"

ISPRA will organize and promote the training course Green and blue infrastructures for more sustainable and resilient cities.
The course has as its main training objectives the acquisition of data and scientific evidence on the environmental and health benefits of nature in the city, to encourage the definition of tools capable of integrating the value of ecosystem services of urban and peri-urban green areas into local planning , in policies to combat climate change and health prevention.

Nature Map published: document to support the drafting of technical specifications for the realization and updating of regional habitat maps

On the SNPA website is on-line the technical publication " Carta della Natura: documento a supporto della redazione di capitolati tecnici per la realizzazione e l’aggiornamento delle carte degli habitat regionali".
This publication was realized to facilitate and set up, on common technical bases and operational proposals, the participation of ARPA/APPA and/or Regions interested in the creation and updating of the Nature Map in their respective territories.

Feeding the future: challenges and prospects in sustainable food production

35th Plant Medicine Forum: challenges and prospects in sustainable food production
How to produce food sustainably? This is the question that the 35th Plant Medicine Forum will focus on, an event dedicated to the protection of plants and the entire world of agricultural and agri-food production.

The reintroduction of the Italian grey partridge in the Mezzano Valley: progress, results and prospects

Seventh Community Forum

On 12 December in Ferrara, the results achieved in the last years of activity of the Life Perdix Project will be presented and the Code of voluntary conduct will be signed by numerous local agricultural companies that intend to commit themselves in the future to the protection of the Italian grey partridge, applying a series of good practices for the protection of its natural habitat.

Flamingomania – The pink flamingo festival

“Flamingomania – The pink flamingo festival” is the first Italian event that has the iconic pink-winged bird as its absolute protagonist and symbol. Co-protagonist of the event is the Tuscan lagoon of Orbetello, with the WWF oases and the regional and state nature reserve.

Ecosystem monitoring: a new generation of indicators for biodiversity

Organized by ARPA Basilicata in collaboration with ISPRA and the University of Bologna, the event is an opportunity to talk about biodiversity monitoring, especially in the Val d'Agri area.

The EU's green choices between information and perception

An event on journalism and the environment will be held on 6 December at the Sapienza University of Rome, to conclude the Bejour module "Becoming a Journalist in Europe: a bridge between traditional and new media".

IMPEL Network's JoNeF project welcomes European members to Italy

On 29, 30 November and 1 December 2023, ISPRA hosted the working group of international members of the IMPEL project called JoNeF (Joint Network for wild Fungi) in hybrid modality, with two meetings and a site visit.

Wildlife in the city: know it to respect it

The conference "Wildlife in the city: knowing it to respect it" will be held on November 27th at the Perugia headquarters of ARPA Umbria. In the session "Protecting Biodiversity also means..." the participation of an ISPRA researcher is expected with the speech " The ecosystem services of green and blue areas for healthier and more resilient cities".

Green General States

The "Green General States" are an opportunity for discussion and study to take stock of the state of Rome's green heritage, on the interventions implemented and on the future prospects of its evaluation and regeneration within the framework of the environmental challenges that await the city.

1° National Conference Citizen Science Italy

The first steps of the National Network

In recent years, Citizen Science (or participatory science) has seen a flourishing of projects, initiatives and networks at a global level. In Europe some countries have equipped themselves with national networks, with the aim of promoting coordination between projects and creating opportunities for exchange between society and the scientific world.

The city tree

National Tree Day is celebrated on 21 November, established as a national anniversary with a law of the Republic which came into force in February 2013. The objective of this celebration is to enhance the importance of the arboreal heritage and to remember the fundamental role played by woods and forests.

21 November - World Tree Day

ISPRA will participate in World Tree Day as part of the citizen science project on urban microforests organized by La Sapienza University.
For the occasion, it would be faced the Let's Circular campaign and the tree as the natural symbol par excellence of the "circular" model that regenerates life.

The Directory of the implementation status of the Park Plans in National Parks has been updated to 08/31/2023

The Park Plan is the instrument with which the Park Authority pursues "the protection of natural and environmental as well as traditional historical, cultural and anthropological values".

The Repertoire through maps, diagrams and official documents produced by the Competent Bodies (State, Regions, Park Bodies) as well as the contents of the Determination of 14 March 2023, n. 32 of the Court of Auditors "DETERMINATION AND REPORT ON THE RESULT OF THE CONTROL ON THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF THE 23 NATIONAL PARK ENTITIES" referring to the year 2021, allows us to understand the current state of the Planning of the Plans of the 25 National Parks currently established.

For each National Park it is possible to identify the exact point of the plan process and the most recent official act.