Born in Naples in 1955, he studied and lived in Pescara, Rome and Milan. Always fond of nature, he is professionally involved in the Project Management industry. He lives in Montesilvano (PE), but he works for most of the year in Kazakhstan. Stefano loves walking in the mountains, good food and dogs. He strongly supported the creation of the Association because he believes that it is necessary to push and control the institutions, and he thinks that volunteering can play an important role in the conservation of the Marsican brown bear as well as similar experiences around the world have already shown.

Born in Sora (Frosinone) in 1978, Luca has always been fond of nature and animals. He got a degree in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pisa in 2005. Soon after, he started working in the sector of medicine and surgery of domestic animals in a Vet Clinic in Viterbo province, where he stayed for 5 years. In the meantime, he attended several specialist training courses in different branches of the vet medicine. In 2010, back to Sora, he collaborated for a few years with a vet ambulatory in the area. In the last years, moved by a deep passion for animals and environmental protection, he took many training courses about wildlife and the Marsican brown bear.
Since 2016, he has been a member of Salviamo l’Orso and decided to actively contribute to the conservation of Marsican brown bear – a treasure of our mountains and everybody’s heritage – by becoming the Medical Vet of the association for the Abruzzo and Lazio regions. He has collaborated and is still collaborating with the Vet Service of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park and with some Nature Reserves in Abruzzo.
He dedicates his free time to his dogs, mountain trekking, his passion for natural agriculture, music and photography.

Born in Boiano (Campobasso) in 1983, Angela holds a major degree in Communication of nature science, a Master of Science degree in Governance of natural protected areas and an international Ph.D. in Management and conservation issues in changing landscape. During her university career, she gained important experiences abroad, such as six months in Vermont (USA) to deepen her Ph.D. research about the management of rural landscape through the local community engagement. Since 2011, she has been working with the team Rete DNA (Network of National Didactic for Environment) that belongs to CURSA – University Consortium for the Socioeconomic Research and Environment – to develop and implement projects of environmental education and heritage interpretation, training courses for adults and educative programs for children about Biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, especially in natural protected areas. Fond of Nature since always and strong supporter of volunteering as an important social resource for environmental protection, Angela has found in Salviamo l’Orso the right organization to contribute in a practical way to the conservation of the Marsican bear, an extraordinary animal that once populated “her mountains”.

Siro Baliva was born in Celano in 1963. After graduating State Scientific High School “Vitruvio Pollione” in Avezzano, he received his bachelor degree in Economic and Banking Sciences from the University of Siena. He has always had a passion for nature, with a special fondness for the mountain lands around the Fucino and Marsica areas. He worked with the Sirente-Velino Regional Park since its establishment in monitoring and surveillance activities during the “Gole Rupestri” Life Project (1996-1998). After winning a public competition, from 2000 to 2007 he worked for the Majella National Park at its registered office in Guardiagrele with the role of Accounting and Heritage Manager. He also managed the accounting and administrative duties of the project “Life Camoscio”. He is currently employed as a public official. Moreover, he works as a volunteer with some institutions and associations for the conservation and census of wildlife in the Apennines, with a specific attention to the conservation of the Marsican brown bear.

Born in Pescara in 1981, he holds a degree in International Political Sciences, with experience of studying and working abroad. He is a budding writer from Abruzzo, with some awards and publications to his credit. The passion for nature, that accompanied him from his childhood, is one of the sources of inspiration of his literary production. He has always been fighting for the conservation of biodiversity, history and culture of his land and for its undisputed symbol, the Marsican brown bear, both in private and as an aide for some environmental organizations. The desire to create a cultural movement in defence of the bear, like the one that led to the establishment of the Abruzzo National Park, drove him to be one of the founders of Save the bear.

Stefano Civitarese, Board Member
Stefano was born in Chieti in 1964 and he lives in Spoltore (PE). After graduating from LLB (Hons) in law at the University of Bologna, he got a PhD at the University of Florence. He became an associate professor in 2001 after winning a selection at the University of Ferrara. Since 2007, he has been holding a public law chair at the Department of Legal and social studies at University of Chieti-Pescara.
Over the years, his profession often took him overseas, both for brief periods and more extended research and teaching stays. In particular, between 2011 and 2014, he lived with his family in England, in the beautiful city of York, which hosts a vibrant academic community. The relationship with the UK is still strong for Stefano, as he haa been appointed Honorary Visiting Professor until 2026 at the York Law School.
Among the research stays that in Canada at the British Columbia University, Vancouver in 2008 stands out for making him understand what a correct relationship between human society and the environment means.
Since he was a child, he has been fond of nature and the wilderness and he is passionate about watching wild animals (he would define himself as an amateur ornithologist). He was a member of the Board of directors of the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park between 2007 and 2012 and the WWF’s national council from 2008 to 2011. He is a founding associate of the Abruzzo Institute for Protected Natural Areas, which manages several natural reserves throughout the Abruzzo region.

Massimiliano de Persiis, Board Member
He crossed the path of “Tata Urze” for the first time back in 1985, in what was and still is his favorite amusement park, the Ernici Mountains. The hidden hope of being able to repeat that fleeting encounter led him to travel far and wide a large part of the central Apennines. The wealth of knowledge and skills he has been acquiring during this never exhausting research is an essential part of his understand. And even if the vicissitudes have led him to undertake a career path that apparently has nothing to do with that world – he is a nurse who works in the oncology field – incredibly some things he learned in the woods, today have proved useful in the fulfillment of his duty. For this and a thousand other reasons, he thanks a lot “Tata Urze”.

Caterina Palombo, Board Member
Caterina was born at Vasto (CH) in 1983. She graduated in Forestry and Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Molise, where she even got a PhD about the climate changes and their effects on the high-altitude ecosystems. She has also a MSc in designing and promotion of cultural landscape. The university career, constantly led by a huge interest in ecology and the interrelations amongst the living organisms, allowed her to develop a major awareness on the themes of Agenda 2030 and on how the anthropogenic actions are determinants for the natural ecosystems’ resilience. Strongly motivated to spread her scientific knowledge to other people, she had the opportunity to take training courses and summer schools in Italy and abroad in order to deepen the dynamics of animation and involvement of local communities. Since 2017 she has been working for the Soc. Coop. ETICAE Stewardship in Action on the sustainable management of natural resources and she is convinced from ever that the volunteering represents a useful tool to take care of nature and learn to live in balance with it, which is one of the most important missions that she shares with Salviamo l’Orso.

Born in Rome in 1986, she graduated in Animal Welfare and Protection, at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Teramo. She has always loved nature and its inhabitants. Since an early age, the contact with “her” mountains and with the animal kingdom has been strong, deep and sincere. After working in the veterinary clinical field, she becomes Environmental Guide for AIGAE Abruzzo. She collaborates with the Sirente Velino Park, as a Coornata Guide in the Life Coornata project, for the protection of the Apennine chamois. She has carried out small environmental education projects for some municipalities and small businesses in the Marsica area. She takes part in voluntary wildlife population counts and animates for children, and loves writing fairy tales, painting and devoting herself to manual activities. One of her greatest desires is to protect, make known and respect every form of life. She firmly believes in the protection of the Marsican brown bear as a voluntary, common and cohesive action.