Events and News

The National Biodiversity Network: collecting and sharing data for the conservation of biodiversity

Promoting the dissemination of knowledge on biodiversity through web platforms and information systems is one of the commitments undertaken as part of the "National Strategy for Biodiversity to 2030", the national strategic document to guarantee the conservation and lasting use of biological diversity in Italy . From its implementation to today, the National Biodiversity Network (NNB), the technical infrastructure managed by ISPRA on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), according to data sharing and visualization parameters, allows the contents of the databases provided by the bodies responsible for monitoring biodiversity and represents a valid tool for sharing knowledge on the topic.

Urban Nature 2023

The ISPRA National Biodiversity Network is a partner of the 2023 edition of Urban Nature, the initiative promoted by the WWF.

Starting from 7 October 2023, the Friends of Urban Nature will promote environmental awareness activities in various Italian cities with the aim of spreading the value of nature and the need to rethink urban spaces, recognizing the centrality of ecosystems and ecological networks.

Monitoring and biodiversity in the city. Let's explore the Site of Community Interest "Villa Borghese" with Citizen science

The ISPRA National Biodversity ISPRA National Biodiversity Network is a partner of the 2023 Urban Nature edition, the initiative promoted by the WWF to spread the value and care of nature in the city. Several events are scheduled from 7 to 8 October 2023 (the ISPRA event will be held on 21 October) organized in various Italian cities by the partners participating in the initiative.

For the occasion, NNB is proposing a Citizen Science activity in one of the largest public parks in the capital, site of the Natura 2000 Network, the Villa Borghese area. ISPRA experts will accompany participants in the discovery of biodiversity in the park covered by the excursion and will encourage the recognition of the flora and fauna of the area visited, including the observation of avifauna.

Testing indicators for trend assessment of range and habitat of low-density cetacean species in the Mediterranean Sea

Life CONCEPTU MARIS

As part of the FLT Med Net and Life CONCEPTU MARIS Action A2 projects (NAT/IT/001371), coordinated by ISPRA, an article entitled: Testing indicators for trend assessment of range and habitat of low-density cetacean species in the Mediterranean Sea

Meeting between ISPRA and the "Wangari Maathai" research institute of Kenya

The ISPRA responsible of the Area for the conservation and management of flora, vegetation and forests, habitats and soil ecosystems and for the sustainable use of agroforestry resources met in Nairobi (Kenya) with the responsibles of the Institute of "Wangari Maathai" research to evaluate possible areas of international cooperation and strengthening of local capacities on topics of mutual interest: nature protection-restoration, environmental impact assessment, sustainable bioenergy, waste management and environmental communication.

The Life CONCEPTU MARIS concludes the first phase of transferring of the multidisciplinary protocol for the monitoring of cetaceans

The Life CONCEPTU MARIS concludes with September the first phase of transferring of the multidisciplinary protocol for the monitoring of cetaceans, sea turtles and ecological processes through visual, environmental DNA, isotopes and sensors techniques. 

The protocol, developed in a core area of the Tyrrhenian Sea, was transferred this summer to the key areas of the Spanish Cetacean Migration Corridor, the Pelagos Sanctuary and the Adriatic Region.

Workshop: Alpine Biodiversity through the Climate Lenstices

The event aims is to exchange information on the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in the Alps, analyze the harmonization of biodiversity data in the Alps, and network and identify synergies between the Alpine Climate Board (ACB) and the Alpine Biodiversity Board (ABB) of the Alpine Convention.

Festival Planet Earth

From 5 to 8 October the Pianeta Terra Festival returns to Lucca, a multidisciplinary event in which we will talk about ecosystems, climate, new economic models, energy, agriculture, food, urban development, but also new political visions , social, philosophical, anthropological, artistic.

LIFE Conceptu Maris: the balance of the summer of sightings

Over the summer, over 40 scientists from LIFE Conceptu Maris, together with dozens of volunteers, embarked in the central and western Mediterranean on the ferries of the main shipping companies, transformed for the occasion into floating laboratories for open sea research. And while their binoculars scanned the horizon in search of cetaceans, turtles and sea birds, in the engine room of a selected number of boats, water samples were collected for chemical and environmental DNA analysis

At Futuro24 the ISPRA headquarters in Ozzano dell'Emilia, a center of excellence for the study and conservation of wildlife

Futuro24, Rai News' in-depth column, enters the ISPRA headquarters in Ozzano dell'Emilia to analizye the health state of wildlife in Italy.

The citizen allied with science! Between alien species and marine litter

Do you want to become a scientist citizen and support scientific research?
Alien species and marine debris are among the main "intruders" of the underwater world. Researchers have been studying them for some time, also with the aim of mitigating their impacts, but their widespread diffusion in the marine environment and the difficulty of constant monitoring make their job very difficult. Fortunately, in recent years, volunteer observers have also come to the aid of researchers, with citizen science (participation of citizens in research activities)

Extreme storm surges and climate change. How do we measure waves?

How to measure waves and storm surges?
Waves are formed thanks to the winds that blow over the seas, transferring part of their energy to the surface of the water. The wave motion propagates for hundreds of kilometers with effects on a fairly deep water column. When the waves approach the coast, the seabed becomes shallower, friction increases, the water column decreases and the energy makes the wave steeper until it breaks.
How are the instruments managed by ISPRA that "observe the sea" made?
So how can we adapt to the ongoing climate change?

The BiodiversaMente Aperta city

The slogan of the European Biodiversity Strategy 2030 states Bring nature back into our lives. The objective is clear: to combat the main direct causes of degradation of natural environments and make urban centers healthier places to live.
But how to do it? What are the advantages that will derive from it in the short and long term? What compromises will we have to accept? What difficulties will have to be overcome? We will try to answer all these questions during the conference.

Only one Earth

The Festival aims to make aware people towards a real involvement for the biodiversity conversation and the environmental protection. For this reasons, there will be organized three days of conferences, workshops, educational laboratories, shows, exhibitions, readings, excursions and film screenings. In addition, 70 events with about 100 Italian and international guests with whom some of the most current issues will be addressed, to build a more sustainable future.

5th International conference LIFE WOLFALPS EU

“Towards large-scale wolf population monitoring- Challenges and perspectives.
The Conference aims to create an occasion of comparison on estimating the status of large-scale wolf populations, examining the pros and cons of current statistical data analysis and genetic techniques.

Final Conference Project Life Egyptian Vulture

The final conference of the Life Egyptian Vulture Project, which deals with the protection of the Egyptian vulture, will be held in Matera from 19 to 21 September. The results of the activities carried out and the conservation status of the species will be illustrated, both in Italy and in Spain, in the Canary Islands, and in the Balkans. The event includes two days of congress session (19 and 20) and a day of visit to the project areas (21 September 2023).

The Saline of Tarquinia: a treasure of geodiversity and biodiversity

ISPRA will organize, in collaboration with the Carabinieri of the Biodiversity Protection Unit of Rome, the excursion "The Saline di Tarquinia: a treasure of geodiversity and biodiversity". The Saline di Tarquinia State Nature Reserve is a hyperaline wetland, one of the few remaining in the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the extension of which various geological-environmental aspects are represented.The salt pan is recognized as a site of community importance (SCI) and a special protection area (SPA).The excursion will allow access to the integral reserve area and will give observe closely the relationship between the industrial exploitation activity, now ceased, and the conservation of the environment and of unusual habitats, as well as of protected rare species.

The study of the Italian fauna

A walk through the former agricultural land, now re-naturalized, today ISPRA headquarters will allow us to learn about the studies on the Italian fauna from migratory birds to sedentary mammals. We will be able to see the instrumentation used in the faunal field, the habitats and the tracks and if we are lucky we will come across some of the many animals that populate the bottom, a green oasis in the middle of expanses of cultivated fields.

Exhibition “Aliens. The conquest of Italy by plants and animals introduced by man"

The exhibition aims to raise public awareness of the problem, which outside the scientific world is still little known with the exception of a few cases. Through the exhibition, everyone will be able to learn about the phenomenon and prevention methods to understand the importance of fighting invasive alien species in order to protect biodiversity and related ecosystem services.

Bird ringing for scientific purposes: the first ISPRA course for aspiring ringers is underway

11-16 and 17-21 September
The first training course for ringers organized by ISPRA began on 11 September, in collaboration with the Emilia Romagna Po Delta Regional Park and with the logistical support of the Renana Land Reclamation Consortium and the Municipality of Argenta.

The biodiversity conservation in the National Park

The Directorate General for Nature and the Sea of ​​the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and the Carabinieri Forestry, Environmental and Agroforestry Unit Command are organizing the conference "The biodiversity conservation in national parks" on 14 September in Rome.

The meeting will be an opportunity to present the biodiversity conservation projects in the national parks and the surveillance actions in the parks.

The round table "National Parks between conservation needs and opportunities for growth and promotion" is expected to be attended by the ISPRA President, Stefano Laporta.

Summer school of Geomorphology, Ecology and Biology in the marine and island environment

The fourth edition of the "Summer School of Geomorphology, Ecology and Biology in the marine and insular environment", organized by ISPRA will take place in Favignana (Egadi Islands) from 11 September 2023 and will last 6 days in which frontal lessons will alternate with practical activities.
The school has the patronage of the Marine Protected Area "Egadi Islands", the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering of the CNR, the Municipality of Favignana and the Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment (ARPA Sicily).

Discovering the Italian Partridge and its reintroduction in the Mezzano Valleys (FE)

Researchers and wildlife enthusiasts will be able to walk among the fences built as part of the Life Perdix project in the territories of the Po Delta Park. We will focus on birdlife with birdwatching activities as well. It will be an opportunity to talk together about the environment and the animals that inhabit it, also suitable for children and families.

Festival Naturarte

The Naturarte Festival will be held on 9 and 10 September in Trevignano Romano.
The participation of ISPRA researchers is expected.

Invasive alien species: new data from the IPBES report

The summary for policy makers of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the highest scientific authority on nature and the tangible and intangible contributions that nature offers to people, was published today. The approval had taken place at the end of the 10th plenary session of the Ipbes by the 141 member countries, including Italy. The drafting of the report involved a hundred scientists from all over the world, required over four years of work and the consultation of over 12,000 bibliographic references

EUROBOAR meeting

From 5 to 7 September, at the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano, there will be a meeting of over 30 researchers and technicians from various European countries and North America who are involved in the EUROBOAR project.
EUROBOAR is a project based on the sharing of data collected during wild boar (Sus scrofa) monitoring campaigns, in order to deepen knowledge on ecology across environmental gradients and understand how the species responds to specific conditions, such as climate and environmental changes o the impacts of human activities.

The mountain hare shifts in altitude

A paper published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation, edited by ISPRA and the University of Turin investigates the relationship between ten years of climate change, and the distribution of the mountain hare in the Aosta Valley, Western Italian Alps

Typical inhabitant of medium and high Alpine altitudes, the mountain hare (Lepus timidus), is potentially affected by the climate changes underway. It is a mammal adapted to high mountains or extreme latitudes, and owes its name to the seasonal change in color of the coat: during the winter it changes to a white coat, which is why it is also known in Italy as ‘the white hare’.

Adopted the National Strategy for Biodiversity to 2030

The Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto, has signed the decree adopting the National Strategy for Biodiversity to 2030.

The Strategy defines national guidelines for the protection and enhancement of biodiversity and ecosystems, implementing the commitments undertaken with the ratification of the 1992 Rio Convention on Biological Biodiversity which recently adopted the Global Framework for Biodiversity to 2030 in Montreal in December and in line with the objectives of the European Biodiversity Strategy 2030

Sea turtle nests, 2023 is the record year

 There are currently 293 loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests found and secured along Italian beaches: it is the all-time record and a number destined to increase in the coming weeks. Volunteers from Legambiente and other organizations, engaged in nest monitoring and surveillance activities as part of the European LIFE Turtlenest project, continue to report day by day traces of mother turtle ascent on Italian beaches.

LIFE Conceptu Maris: photo contest edition 2023

Until midnight on 24 September 2023, those who photograph the beauty of the Mediterranean can participate in the second edition of the “Profondo blu. Whales, dolphins and turtles in the open sea”related to LIFE Conceptu Maris.