Italy
Trees for All is working on forest restoration in Esperia, Italy. Thanks to your support, we are restoring nature that was destroyed due to a major wildfire.
The project in statistics
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trees per hectare within 5 years
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hectares of restored nature
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different tree and shrub species
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planting period
An impression of the project area
Our approach
The forest near the nature park struggles to recover on its own, partly because the region can be extremely dry and hot. To stimulate natural processes, we apply assisted natural regeneration. Our local partners combine the following measures to restore the forest:
- Planting trees manually. Groups of volunteers manually plant around 150 to 200 young trees (seedlings) per hectare.
- Active seed dispersal. A local team collects tree seeds from surrounding forests and spreads them across the project area.
- Acorn dispersal. Eurasian jays also play their part. Specially designed feeding boxes filled with acorns encourage them to disperse acorns naturally throughout the area.
- Pruning management. Shoots growing from trees are pruned to stimulate the growth of the main tree (stem).
- Grazing management. Overgrazing by livestock has depleted the landscape over the years. Farmers are therefore not allowed to let their animals graze in the project area, giving nature the chance to recover.
Burnt areas and feeding boxes for jays
Expected impact
The combination of all these measures is expected to result in an average of 600 trees per hectare after five years. Species include downy oak, holm oak, rowan, cherry, and blackberry and raspberry shrubs. On the southern slope of the mountain – where temperatures can be extreme – our focus is on species that are well adapted to drought and intense sunlight, such as the turpentine tree (Pistacia terebinthus).
Planting location
The project site is located next to the Aurunci Mountains Natural Park near Esperia, in the southeast of Rome.
Our partners
Within this project, we work together with Sylva Nova, a forest management and advisory firm specialising in international fundraising and technical advice. The following partners are also involved in the project implementation:
- Municipality of Esperia: Owner of the project area and provider of logistical support.
- Driade: A local NGO acting as project lead, responsible for coordinating activities and volunteers.
- Aurunci Mountains Nature Park: Provides technical and logistical support and contributes to seed collection.
- Various universities and research institutes: Involved in monitoring and knowledge development.
Planting location with a story
The project location is next to the Aurunci Mountains Nature Park (AMNP), an area with a special and deeply emotional history. During the liberation period around the Second World War, many atrocities took place here. Many women fled to the forest at the time, which has created a deep emotional connection with this place.
The symbolism of women as protectors of the forest – the dryad – lives on in monuments throughout the region. Our partner Driade, which shares this name, chose this forest restoration site to honour the place and keep its history alive. That makes it even more meaningful to contribute to this project.
Een impressie van het projectgebied waar we het bos herstellen
This project contributes to several
Sustainable Development Goals
