On 29 June, the first public event of the European project LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors was held in Pettorano sul Gizio, dedicated to the Bear Smart Community Genzana. It seemed useful and necessary to start from here, because the collective commitment to coexist with the Marsican bear has been put into practice since 2015 with the pilot project that saw the establishment of the first Bear Smart Community in Italy.
The meeting, which was attended by over 70 people, took place in various ways: a presentation with insights into bear biology, bear-smart communities and the LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors project, and activities of interaction and involvement of the public dedicated to the expression of emotions, challenges and commitments of the participants for the future of bears as well as the communities. Everything was conducted by expert facilitators.
From what emerged in the interactive phase with the public, we have the awareness of how long the road towards human-bear coexistence is and that occasions like this are the basis of the desired cultural change, in small steps, with no one excluded. Thanks to all the participants of this first public event and to the LBSC project partners present: Municipality of Pettorano sul Gizio, Monte Genzana Alto Gizio Nature Reserve, Salviamo l’Orso, Rewilding Apennines, Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park and Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park.
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