The second meeting of the ForestEd project (Erasmus+) was held in Italy, in the territory of the Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest, from 13 to 15 October - the first was held in France in the territory of the Model Forest of Provence last July - which brings together 6 countries of the European Mediterranean area, many of which are linked to the Model Forests Network.
The theme of the project concerns the exchange of good practices and in particular activities related to forest education and, more generally, environmental education in the various territories of the partners involved.
The international guests of the project were thirty, divided into 7 delegations from 6 countries representing almost the entire Mediterranean area of the European Union, in particular: Provence Model Forest (France) leader of the project, the Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia (Greece), the CESEFOR Foundation (Spain), ASPEA (Portugal), Istria Model Forest (Croatia), the GRAINE network (France), and the Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest (Italy).
The initiative was promoted and hosted by the association Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest together with many of its members including: the Union of Municipalities Valdarno e Valdisieve , the Tuscany Region together with the Secretariat of Mediterranean Model Forests Network (MMFN) the Carabinieri Forestali Corps of Vallombrosa; local associations such as Ecotondo, Il Paese sulla Collina Sara Cerrini, Il Bosco di Rincine, Il Luogo Comune; training and research centres such as the University of Florence (DAGRI), the CNR IBE, Polo Tecnico Professionale (PTP) Agribusiness Mugello, the Proforma Training Agency, the Ordine dei Dottori Agronomi e Forestali di Firenze and the Centro di Formazione Forestale di Rincine, who shared their experience on the project's themes, to raise awareness of sustainability and correct use of the land through training.
The first day was an opportunity for each partner to present their activities about environmental education and to experience an example of environmental education carried out in the area of the Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest (the Tre Passi a Monte project).
The second day was dedicated to a fieldtrip to Vallombrosa to learn about the activities of the Corpo dei Carabinieri Forestali and to visit the experimental arboretums. On the last day the participants were divided into round tables on specific topics: Professional forestry training, Environmental education in schools and for adults, Agri-food education. Then the participants visited a forestry work-site related to the For.Italy project tanks to the participation of the Forestry Training Center of Rincine. At the end of the day, a plenary session was held in order to discuss with everyone the issues that emerged from the round tables such as problems, needs, good practices exchanged etc.
The project will end next March with the last meeting in Portugal, but which we hope will sow the seeds for further collaborations and also future exchanges.
