Understanding and studying fauna: ISPRA meets local schools
As part of the 2024/25 Environmental Education and Sustainability Initiatives Program, more than 80 students from two schools in the province of Bologna were able to experience first-hand what it means to study fauna for the purposes of its management and conservation, participating in activities that simulate the monitoring and field recognition of terrestrial mammals, and exploring conservation genetics laboratories to discover how the study of DNA can contribute to understanding and safeguarding wild populations.
Educational activities were carried out free of charge from March to May. Students from a secondary school visited the ISPRA headquarters in Ozzano, located in a former agricultural land that has become a site of community interest within the Natura 2000 Network, and participated in various educational activities organized by the Institute such as classroom meetings, laboratory activities, and outdoor excursions. During the same period, ISPRA experts involved students from a primary school in the discovery of Italian mammal fauna, going to the school itself and bringing equipment and materials through which to learn about the study and monitoring techniques currently used in the field.
During the meeting with students at the ISPRA headquarters in Ozzano, a demonstration was made with a drone to illustrate the different applications of this tool for the study and monitoring of terrestrial mammals. The use of drones allows for the collection of long-term data, even on large surfaces and in areas that cannot be reached by operators, on the behavior and use of the habitat, throughout the entire day, including night hours. At the same time, it allows for the disturbance caused to animal populations to be minimized and for the costs of the operators' missions in the field to be contained.
The educational activities will also be reported in the European project Science Together Net.
Video made during educational activities to illustrate the use of drones in the study of wildlife
