In one of Europe’s most intensively cultivated regions, Po River Valley, three small forests peek through, and spark the idea of a different future. Nature, community and resilience become bearers of innovative solutions here, right as climate change presses us harder than ever. Through the FSC’s Ecosystem Services Procedure and its derived Verified Positive Impact claims, these areas are gaining widespread visibility for their economic and social value: key elements to support their conservation.
The FSC’s new interactive story map, A Tale of Three Forests, uses ESRI technology to dive people into these forest patches that are flourishing as hubs for biodiversity, culture and water regulation.
At Bosco Limite, a young forest restored from former farmland, forest manager Lucio Brotto has built a natural water reservoir into the woodland. Today, an intricate network of channels helps local communities deal with water shortages in dry summers, and keeps the forest soil moist in winter. This area is also home to Raìse, a forest kindergarten where open air learning takes place rain or shine. “A rainy forest is full of discovery,” says Sara Belpinati, a young educator at Raìse as her young students play under a wooden shelter.
In Trino (Piedmont), Bosco delle Sorti della Partecipanza has been managed collectively for more than 800 years. Ivano Ferrarotti, chief of the local community, shows records of generations who co-managed this ‘generational forest’ by rotating wood harvests among co-owners, embodying an efficient example of long-term sustainable governance.
Not far from Venice, Bosco delle Lame offers a peaceful haven to locals like Gabriele Ceresatto, who cycles through its shaded trails. Once nearly lost, this small area has been restored. “Small patches, but these forests are essential in the fight against climate change” says forestry technician Roberto Rasera. “They revive ecosystems where biodiversity had nearly disappeared.”
A Tale of Three Forests walks readers through Italy’s rural history, exploring its hidden green havens while reflecting on the role that community has on forest restoration. To shape a future of forests for all, forever.
Take a stroll under the shade of branches through the full storymap!
