On Tuesday July 7, 2020 the various members (candidates and non-candidates) of the Mediterranean Model Forests Network, the Secretariat of the Mediterranean Network and that of the International Network, met in conference calls to update themselves on the activities they are carrying out and coordinate on any new projects.
The meeting initially focused on a report related to the activities carried out by the new secretariat of the Mediterranean Network, which focused on starting new projects, sponsoring others and implementing communication activities.
The meeting continued with the presentation of the activities of each MF which at the moment are made difficult because of the problems related to Covid-19 and the social distancing.
Many projects that the various Model Forests are carrying out focus on environmental education, pedagogy and sustainable tourism (e.g. excursions, publications dedicated to mushrooms, wild herbs) but also to the development of local and international projects.
After the general meeting, the greetings and the invitation to organize a next meeting very soon, the Secretariat of the Mediterranean Network continued the meeting with the Valle dell'Aterno Model Forest Candidate (Italy), to discuss some of the inputs received in the last weeks from International Network and by the Secretariat of the Mediterranean Network itself, to define and compile a Strategic Plan which will allow the Aterno Valley to become definitively part of the Mediterranean Network.
ACTIVITY OF THE MODEL FOREST OF MEDITERRANEAN NETWORK
River Mirna Basin Model Forest (Croatia):
- started and carried out an educational project related to Forest Pedagogy;
- in the coming days he will publish a book and photographic manual linked to local mushrooms, created thanks to the project "100 mushrooms from the River Mirna Basin"
- is a partner of the Erasmus + "Forest Education" project, still in the approval phase, which if confirmed will focus on the exchange of students in some Model Forests of the Mediterranean Network (the project is headed by the Provence Model Forest)
Tlemcen (Algeria) and Ifrane (Morocco) Model Forest:
At the moment Tlemcen is carrying on a great activity on no wood products, in particular on herbal extracts for medicinal use. A similar project carried out also in Ifrane in this case addressed to traditional medicine (in particular on arbutus, for whose exploitation they have acquired a distiller).
Bukak and Yalova (Turkey):
In Turkey at the moment the work has slowed down because they are waiting for the reorganization of the two associations (Yalova and Bukak) by the Forestry Authority, anyway they are focusing on projects dedicated to mushrooms.
Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest (Italy):
- is working on the new edition of Tre Passi a Monte (thematic excursions). This year the theme will be dedicated to the particular places of the Resistance during the Second World War in the territory
- they were also planning environmental education in schools, but it is postponed due to the closure of schools for Covid.19.
Provence Model Forest (France):
The Provence Model Forest was unable to attend the meeting as the general meeting of members was held on the same day.
Palencia Model Forest candidate (Spain):
Working on projects related to environmental education and sustainable tourism in their territory.