Events and News

Invasive Alien species: the problem and its management for the protection of Biodiversity

Invasive alien species, fight against the illegal trade of endangered species, Red Lists of threatened species in Italy and actions for their protection. These are the issues that will be addressed on 5 and 6 May in the three events organized by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Federparchi as part of the Euroflora review.

Bridging the gap: a bridge between biology and society conservation

The conference is the launch event of the Italian Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology, the event aims to address the problem of the representation of the scientific community in the Italian environmental policy, bringing together researchers and academics active in conservation biology, promoting a science closer to citizens

Confident and / or problematic wild animals

The National Federation of Italian Veterinary Orders will organize a series of events dedicated to wildlife issues entitled "Interactions between wildlife, anthropogenic activities and domestic animals". On May 4, an ISPRA researcher is participating in the first webinar "Confident and / or problematic wild animals" .

Catwild project

The Maremma Natural History Museum, in collaboration with ISPRA and the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, has promoted a project focused on creating a National integrated database of the species (namely Felis DB) to collect all the available data on the species in Italy (genetic data, morphometric and phenotypic data, camera trapping and remote sensing data, necropsy and pathogens, GPS data), combining historical (such as the database created by Prof. Bernardino Ragni) with current data. Starting from the database and going on by surveying, taking photos, collecting carcasses and biological samples, and taking care of injured animals, the project aims to deepen our knowledge about the European wildcat in Italy.

Studying and protecting pollinators in the National Parks of the Alps

Since 2020, the four Alpine National Parks (Dolomiti Bellunesi, Gran Paradiso, Stelvio and Val Grande) have started a project for the protection of pollinators, thanks to funding from the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
For this reason, research has been carried out on butterflies, wild bees, and environmental quality monitoring activities using wild pollinators and honey bees as bioindicators.

Tales of Biodiversity - Bees

In the fourth episode of this journey into biodiversity, Jacopo went to the headquarters of the Social Farm Association of Social Integration Assistance where he met two ISPRA experts: Valter Bellucci and Francesco Campanelli, who accompanied him in his knowledge of the fantastic world of bees and pollinators. On this occasion, dressed in a beekeeper's suit, they explored the inside of the hives. They observed bees under a microscope and saw the functioning of a technological beehive.

Confident wolves: documented cases, perception and guidelines on their management

On 29 April in Bard, in Valle d'Aosta, the second conference of the Life Wolfs Alps EU Project will be held, with ISPRA experts taking part in the meeting.

Soil protection is connected with a clean agriculture

A quarter of our planet's biodiversity is found in the soil. But the health of the soil is threatened by human activity, among other things, by agriculture that does not respect its natural cycles.

One hundred years of nature conservation

The national parks turn one hundred years old, in 1922 the Gran Paradiso and Abruzzo National Parks were born, today Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise. From 22 to 24 April, the Centenary celebrations take place in Rome, a three-day event in which the activities and values ​​of those who work for the protection of biodiversity will be told and where it will be possible to visit the Village of Parks.

Wolf and large carnivores conquering the Po Valley

"Wolves and large carnivores to conquer the Po Valley" is the title of the 2022 national conference of the Large Carnivores Group of the Italian Alpine Club, which will be held on Saturday 23 April. Focus on the recent and rapid expansion of the wolf and other predators towards the more populated areas of the territory. The causes of these displacements are due to the fact that in various mountain areas the wolf has reached an optimal density in relation to food availability. The consequence is that the scattered specimens (ie single wolves not belonging to the packs) head down, following the ecological corridors and the olfactory trails of the preys.

Public consultation of the Biodiversity National Strategy

The national strategy represent a tool which Italy aims to contribuite to the international target to achieve by 2050 all the ecosystem of the planet are restored, resilient and adequately protected.

In order to guarantee the widest participation, the public consultation of the “National Biodiversity Strategy 2030” is open.

Tales of Biodiversity - The sea

In this third episode in the world of biodiversity, Jacopo would like to have information on the marine ecosystem and meets the marine biologist Cecilia Silvestri, who has been dealing with microplastics and the protection of sea turtles for years. Starting from the story of the little turtle Carrie, we wonder about the conditions in which our seas, the inhabitants who populate it and what concrete actions we can do to protect it.

OnePeopleOnePlanet

Scientists (and) mad
On the occasion of World Earth Day, April 22nd, the third edition of #OnePeopleOnePlanet - The Multimedia Marathon will take place, the event born in 2020 in time of pandemic, which has now become one of the most significant appointments for the protection of the planet in Italy. It consists of 13 hours of television relay carried out in the framework of an impressive media partnership with RAI, which will broadcast the live broadcast of the event on the RaiPlay digital channel, involving the best journalists and some live programs of the RAI platform, in this important advertising campaign. awareness raising.

Two ISPRA researchers will analize the research on the state of Mediterranean waters, as part of the Marine Strategy of the European Union, with interesting insights into the technological progress that robotics is bringing to submarine research.

Further information

Plastic Busters MPAs - Info Day

Plastic Busters MPAs is an Interreg Med funded project aiming to maintain biodiversity and preserve natural ecosystems in pelagic and coastal marine protected areas by consolidating Mediterranean efforts against marine litter.

Participate and promote the City Nature Challenge, the citizen science initiative that allows to assess the biodiversity status of cities

The citizen science project "Biodiversity in pose" of the National Biodiversity Network (ISPRA / MiTE) is among the partners of the Italian Biodiversity Cluster for the 2022 edition of the City Nature Challenge (CNC), the international competition scheduled from April 29 to May 2, which competes with citizens interested in the environment in the survey and recording of naturalistic observations of wild flora and fauna, in the urban and extra-urban context.

Opening conference of the project "Strong Sea Life"

On April 13, 2022, the presentation conference of the STRONG SEA project - Survey and TReatment ON Ghost LIFE, a project financed under the LIFE program, priority sector Nature and Biodiversity, on funds will take place at the Municipality of Porto Torres (SS) established in the 2014-2020 programming.
It will be possible to follow the proceedings both in presence and in live streaming on the ISPRA Youtube Channel.  ISPRA Youtube Channel.
ISPRA is the project leader, together with 5 associated partners: Forestry Corps Environmental Supervision, Asinara Park - Asinara Island AMP, AGRIS Regione Sardegna, MCM Consorzio Coop Produzione Lavoro and Petra Patrimonia Corsica.
The project, which started in December 2021, will last 5 years.

The Plastic Busters MPAs - Capitalization Conference

Plastic Busters MPAs is an Interreg Med funded project aiming to maintain biodiversity and preserve natural ecosystems in pelagic and coastal marine protected areas by consolidating Mediterranean efforts against marine litter.

Tales of Biodiversity - The seeds

ISPRA with the aim to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Convention on Biological Diversity has produced 6 video episodes, in which we explain to children what fantastic stories nature can tell us in its micro and macro representations. The videos are aimed at a very wide audience, of all ages. And that is why we asked a 10-year-old child to act as an intermediary with the world of adults. In the first episode, we relied on the creative exuberance of Beti Piotto who, through fascinating stories about the reality of nature, leads us into the variegated world of seeds.

Advancing the research for the conservation of Sea Turles in the Mediterranean Sea: study on the seasonal niche of the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) in the Adriatic and Ionian seas

Although Caretta caretta is the most common marine turtle in the Mediterranean Sea, its distribution is relatively difficult to assess due to a lack of data especially in offshore waters.
To identify the key factors and the most important areas for the conservation of the species, a recent study investigated the ecological niche of the loggerhead turtle in the crucial area of ​​the Adriatic-Ionian Sea, highlighting the priorities for the species in the reproductive period of April-September and in the winter one.

ISPRA will coordinate the institutions involved in the Life Conceptu Maris project

Life Conceptu Maris is a project that has ambitious goals and involves high-level skills in the international scientific landscape.

The article "Scientists’warning on invasive alien species" among the most quoted in the world in the period 2020-2021

An article that raised the alarm of the global scientific community on the impacts caused by invasive alien species, published in 2020 by leading international experts on the subject including an ISPRA researcher, was among the most quoted scientific publications in the world in the period 2020- 2021

Plant 6.6 million trees by 2024 in the 14 Italian metropolitan cities

Projects worth 330 million euros are expected
Plant 6.6 million trees by 2024 in the 14 Italian metropolitan cities - 1,268 municipalities where more than 21 million inhabitants live - to combat air pollution and climate change. This is the objective of the measure "Protection and enhancement of urban and extra-urban green" of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (M2C4 3.1). The overall budget is 330 million euros. The notice was published on the website of the Ministry of Ecological Transition.

Publication of the Position Paper: "Urban and periurban green infrastructures" of ASvis

Published the Position Paper "Urban and peri-urban green infrastructures" coordinated by ISPRA within the Working Group on Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) of ASviS - Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development. The document aims to take stock of the policies in place in terms of urban forestation and the increase of greenery in the city and on the tools to enhance the environmental benefits

The wolf: resource or threat?

The recent article published in the prestigious scientific journal Scientific Reports, produced by a team of 14 researchers from all over Europe and coordinated by the geneticists of the ISPRA Conservation Genetics Area, provides very useful biomolecular tools to identify, at European level, the different populations of wolves and jackals but also possible hybrids between wolves, jackals and dogs. The study offers invaluable support for planning adequate conservation actions that take into account the particular dynamics of expansion of wild canids, currently underway at European level.

International Day of Forests

"Sustainable Forests, Production and Consumption" is the theme of the International Day of Forests 2022. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. 

Forests cover a third of the earth's mass, performing vital functions around the world. About 1.6 billion people, including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures, depend on forests for their livelihoods, medicine, fuel, food and shelter.

Forests are the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth, home to over 80% of terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. Yet despite all these immense ecological, economic, social and health benefits, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate.

Opened call for paper for the monographic number RETICULA 2022

The call for papers for the RETICULA monograph 2022 is now open and will have as topic "1992-2022: thirty years of implementation of the Habitat Directive - A focus on commitments for the protection of ecological connectivity".

Computing ship strikes and near miss events of fin whales along the main ferry routes in the Pelagos Sanctuary and adjacent west area, in summer

In the Mediterranean, collisions with large ships are considered among the main threats to the fin whale, a species considered vulnerable by the IUCN red lists for the risk of extinction in the Mediterranean.

Since 2007, a network of various entities coordinated by ISPRA (FLT Med Net),  has been studying the impacts of maritime traffic along the main sea routes in the Mediterranean, collecting data on collision or near miss events.

Final conference PonDerat project

On 17 and 18 March, live streaming, the final conference of PonDerat, a Life project co-financed by the European Union, of which ISPRA is an associated beneficiary, will be held, which aims to improve the conservation status of species and habitats. of the Ponziana Islands. In particular, the actions carried out aimed at the protection of some species of seabirds, such as the Greater Shearwater and the Lesser Shearwater (our albatrosses), seriously threatened by the predation of the Black Rat on chicks.

Final meeting of the project LIFE SE POSSO "Posidonia...and not only"

A conference talk show to talk about marine governance, Posidonia oceanica meadows to be protected and recovered, anthropogenic impacts on these protected habitats, good practices to be replicated in the Mediterranean, transparency and participation in the protection of our marine natural capital. Marine forests, blue carbon and Citizen science will also be discussed. European and national institutional authorities will participate, the main Stakeholders involved in the project, the research projects with which Life SEPOSSO has carried out a wide and heterogeneous networking activity.

The event will be moderate by Fabio Gallo of Linea Blu Tv show.

Program

Streaming live channel YouTube ISPRA 

Further information: https://lifeseposso.eu/

Geneva biodiversity conference

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will hold three meetings concurrently in the last 2 weeks of March, to talk about the state of health of flora and fauna in the planet and in order to achieve a draft program to be finalized during the second part of the UN conference on biodiversity.