Ambassador profile

Organisation profile

This natural Area spreads on a hill zone which scope down towards Tanaro river.If we examine the subsoil we can find many fossil remains, expecially fossil shells, but we found different rorqual whale fossil skeleton. All the Area is located from the Tertiary Period. In the lower part, two streams fix the West and the East boundaries. The presence of river crayfish is really meaningfull since it is an ecological indicator of good water quality. The naturalistic richness is related to the wood land with its coppices of chestnut-trees and with its lofty trees, over all grove of oaks, such as Sessile oaks (Quercus petraea), Pedunculate oaks (Quercus robur) and other types of Oaks (Quercus cerris, Quercus pubescens). Rocchetta Tanaro Natural Park, judging from its climate and vegetation, is located in the centre of a sort of bridge connecting between “Langhe” (South Piedmont area, influenced by Mediterranean climate) and the hilly system of Turin (near Alps climate). The study of vegetation of the Park has been really meaningful in order to investigate the history of the original forest of the Basin of Asti. In the underwood we can find wild orchids, wood geraniums, brooms,wood lilies, asphodels.The wood is also for many animals: foxes, squirrels, weasels, hedgehogs, dormice (Glis glis) and badgers.The avifauna is represented by at least 40 nest-building species, such as the rare red barred woodpecker, the lesser spotted woodpecker, the green woodpecker, the tree-creeper, the green warblers, the goldcrest and so on. Rivers and hills have guaranted in the past, and for the future, the possibility of fine fruits and vegetables production, and special “Barbera” red wine and “Cortese” White wine. In Rocchetta Tanaro village, www.rocchettanet.com we can see the characteric and historical sections of the village including the church, castle, old streets and old wine cellars.

Two annual special events

Every year we organize two special events with local wine producers to promote the local wine (Barbera red wine) and the special areas in the park where the black grapes are cultivated.
The first event takes place at the beginning of the summer. We call it “Notturno al Parco”. It involves a night walking around the hills of the Rocchetta Tanaro Nap and around the vineyards between Rocchetta Tanaro village, www.rocchettanet.com and Tanaro River. Every year approximately 300 people walk together with the Park’s staff. The event involves listening to night raptor birds of prey and some star and planet watching hosted by an astronomy specialist. The wine producers, together with the social wine cooperative “Cantine Post dal vin – Terre del Barbera s.c.a", www.postadalvin.it , offers the new “Barbera” and new “Cortese” wines with special local food .“Pacha Mama” (www.ostellopachamama.com, e mail: csps.at(at)tin(dot)it), a Youth Hostel situated in the middle of the Rocchetta Tanaro Nature Park, contributes to this event and offers a cocktail party and the possibility to spend the night in the park. The schools, exhibit their works on the Park’s nature. Primary school, Middle school, Secondary school exhibit the final products of the environmental educational projects developed, during the three seasons, in the natural Park, with the technical support of the forest Rangers: Posters of the wood stratification, subsoil, humus stratum, herbaceous and shrubby level; posters of wood fauna tracks, avifauna feather; herbarium, the wood shapes; morphology of landscape; climate research; difference of Biomes, etc.

Culture and Nature

At the end of August the second meeting involves culture and nature. Important national writers born in Piedmont, Davide Lajolo, Cesare Pavese and Beppe Fenoglio, host a litterary trip in the natural parks or natural reserve.

Together with Davide Lajolo, the Cultural Association www.davidelajolo.it, comune di di Vinchio www.comune.vinchio.at.it, Viticoltori associati di Vinchio-Vaglio Serra www.vinchio.com and Ente Parchi Astigiani www.parks.it/parchi.astigiani/index.html promote “ La Festa della Valsarmassa” (Valsarmassa Nature Reserve), which takes place on the last Saturday in August, every year. It is a cultural and natural event, with narration of passages taken from a well-known story by Davide Lajolo, an important National writer. This year is a tribute to Bertolt Brecht, with a collection of poetry reading. It also includes Davide Lajolo’s prize to a national italian TV, Rai tre, “Ambiente Italia” programme. There will also be poster exhibitions of committees, associations and organisations from different areas of Asti Province, against the building of a biomass incinerator in the local area. The local association of wine growers offer a guided wine tasting accompanied with special local food.

Festa degli alberi 21-22 march

Meeting in the urban Parks of Asti, together with WWF, Italia Nostra, Legambiente, and all the schools (about 600-700 students). The event involves:

• Natural games
• Water Cycle demonstrations and the importance of saving water
• Play with pupils and other students to use correct behaviours to save forest and water
• Distibution of gadgets and special leaflets for the correct use of water.

Activities and products for the communication of Natura 2000

 

✓Green Days more info

✓Guided visits

✓Other: Environmental educational projects

 

✓At least once per week during school period

✓At least once per month

 

✓No, just a local social cooperative

 

Local social cooperative at least one per week during open school

 

✓Posters

✓Other: Natural games (how to save water; the “noise” of the forest; orienteering; the shapes of leaves; the tracks of the forest; how to measure a tree; etc.)

 

✓General public

✓Local community

 

✓No

 

✓Yes

1: INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION: MANCARONCITO ISLAND (Nicaragua)
Forest conservation supporting initiative and ecotourism growth.Poster exhibitions
Joint-working - Network activities: Ente Parchi Astigiani; Regione Piemonte - Community and International Affairs Sector.

2: INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION: Integral Nature Reserve of OTONGA (Equador)
Forest conservation supporting initiative. Poster exhibitions.
Joint-working - Network activities: Ente Parchi Astigiani; Regione Piemonte - Community and International Affairs Sector.

3: C.E.A. of Rocchetta Tanaro Nap (Environmental Educational Center) Organisation and management - study and execution of environmental educational projects for the next school year (2007-2008) Primary School, Middle School and Secondary School.
Promotion and networking of the different biodiversity and landscapes for the environmental survival as a complex interactions between physical, biological, cultural and social components. School teachers training. School poster exhibition.
Joint-working - Network activities: Regione Piemonte - Ente Parchi Astigiani - Asti Province - Asti city Administration, social and educational sector- Arpa of Asti Province - Territorial Laboratory of Asti Province - Environmental Didactic Laboratory of Pra Catinat (Turin) - CSPS Social Cooperative of Asti - LA PERVINCA Cooperative of Asti - Davide Lajolo Association, Vinchio (Asti) - Forest Rangers of Rocchetta Tanaro Nap.

4: CCR (Girls and Boys City Council of Asti) Organisation and management of a meeting in Rocchetta Tanaro Nap - hosting the new CCR of Asti (approx. 40 pers.). Meeting with the political administration and the Mayor of Asti, Theme: environmental and pollution problem solving - meeting of the Middle and Primary School Teachers.
Joint-working - Network activities: Municipal Administration of Asti City - Social and Education Sectors- Rocchetta Tanaro Admnistration - Ente Parchi Astigiani - Primary and Middle School’s Teachers - Forest Rangers of Rocchetta Tanaro Nap - CSPS Social Cooperative of Asti - “Pacha Mama” youth hoste of Rocchetta Tanaro Nap - LA PERVINCA Cooperative of Asti.

5: LE COLLINE DEL MARE (The sea hills) Integration Programme for Local Development
Biotopes - Geosites - Ecological Network. Actions to realize an ecological national network to improve the development of all circuits, characterized by natural, social and cultural values, to defend and to increase the existing biodiversity levels.
Joint-working - Network activities: Regione Piemonte - Asti Province - Administration of Asti City - WWF Italia, Asti Section - Asti University System of Higher Education - Oriental Piedmont University Education - Turin University, Earth Science Department - Sacro Monte di Crea Nature Park - Cassa di Risparmio di Asti (Bank) Foundation - ASP Pubblic Service Asti S.p.A. - GAL BMA Local Action Group Basso Monferrato Artigiano - Local Administrations of:
Rocchetta Tanaro - Settime - Cinaglio - Camerano Casasco-Capriglio - Vigliano - Cortiglione - Belveglio - Vaglio Serra - Vinchio - Incisa Scapaccino - Mombercelli - Calliano - Ente Parchi Astigiani.

6: 15 FREE BUS SERVICE TRIPS: To Rocchetta Tanaro Nap and Valsarmassa.
750 pupils transported to Rocchetta Tanaro Nap, to take part in Environmental Educational projects, organized by Forest Rangers of Rocchetta Tanaro Nap.
Joint-working - Network activities: Ente Parchi Astigiani - ASP Pubblic Service Asti S.p.A. - Administration of Asti City, Social and Education Service - Primary School Teachers of Asti - CSPS social Cooperative Asti - PACHA MAMA youth Hostel - LA PERVINCA Cooperative of Asti.

7: NATURE TRAIL FOR BLIND PEOPLE: Rocchetta Tanaro Nap, 600 meters of nature trail (Wood natural street) for blind people, recognizing tree trunks through touch - Audio information supports the projects.
Joint-working - Network activities: Public Middle School of Rocchetta Tanaro - Local Administration of Rocchetta Tanaro - Private Forest Owners - Blind national Union of Turin - Forest Rangers of Rocchetta Tanaro Nap.

8: ”CANTE’ BERGERA“
Popular and traditional female songs festival, Eight Edition 28th and 29th September 2007, Alfieri Theater. Ente Parchi Astigiani Organisation. Songs of the “1900”.
Singers from Europe, Africa and South America. The fatigues works of the earth. The music and the words.
Joint-working - Network activities: Regione Piemonte - Ente Parchi Astigiani - Alfieri Theater - Administration of Asti City.

• The communications with schools
• Good relationships with farmers, the social cooperative and wine producers

It just started.

• Landscape preservation.
• To maintain the morphology of the territory outside the Park.
• To communicate the European Landscape Convention.
  This convention was ratifyed on the 20th October 2000, in Florence, Italy, by the competent Ministers of the European Members States. The convention's objective is to communicate to all public authorities at local, regional, national and international level, the environment protection policy of the European landscape management. In order to address social needs, economic activities and environmental protection, this policy should be compatible with sustainable development. The convention outlines the legal measures for the landscape policy and encourages cooperation between national and international authorities. Finally the convention aims to realise the “landscape premium of the European Council“ for local and regional communities, that display good landscape sustainable planning that can be used as a model for other European countries.

• Private farmers
• Some local wine producers
• Schools

• Corrected information
• Explanation of the correct resources management
• Meetings in the Park
• Walking
• Scientific explanations to conserve the landscape

• Cessation of some uncorrected interventions
• In the meeting at the end of August, the local committee organise an exhibition of posters against the biomass incinerator.

No money available, but willingness to discuss the matter with the Park’s staff

30% of the entire budget

No, only funding from the Regione Piemonte