Vallecamonica is a valley of historical and cultural interest. It was the first UNESCO site in Italy and it has been part of the Valle Camonica – Alto Sebino Biosphere since 2018. In this context, economic activities take place in environments which are essential for the conservation of biodiversity and, therefore, sustainability, starting from urban management, is fundamental.
Pollinators are an important component of biodiversity but their decline, due to several factors, is now ongoing. Among pollinators, bees have played an important role both in production and ecosystems for centuries. As regards agroecosystems, bees and other pollinators are considered an important level of agrobiodiversity, and can be defined “biological control agents” together with the natural enemies of insects harmful to agriculture. Their conservation has proven effects on the resilience and productivity of agroecosystems; in fact, bees and other pollinators are also essential for green spaces and healthy and resilient urban ecosystems.
Protecting pollinators requires a strategic approach: awareness of their role needs to be increased through public involvement and environmental education, and communities have a vital role in their conservation.
The creation of a community of “friends and ambassadors of pollinators” in a context such as that of Valcamonica, already characterized by the presence of protected areas in which pollinator species are found far from the main urban centres subject to noise, light, electromagnetic and chemical pollution, would be important support for the ecology of these biological control agents, a fundamental component of biodiversity.
ACTION 1 – Creation of guidelines for urban green management
The first action involves the creation of guidelines for the management of existing urban green areas “friendly to pollinators” (in particular as regards the choice of herbaceous plants and trees, and for the adequate management of grass cutting and weed management) based on the creation of a list of tree and herbaceous resources (database) that can be used for green areas and in the decoration of roundabouts and avenues.
ACTION 2 – Capacity building activities
The second action envisages a capacity building activity involving the main local stakeholders. This action provides for training at all levels of the actors involved (municipal administration technicians, local agricultural entrepreneurs and land managers, beekeepers and aspiring beekeepers, tourists and general public, environmental educators).
ACTION 3 – Creation of an educational apiary
Action 3 foresees the creation of an educational apiary for demonstration purposes. Together with the apiary, a botanical garden of essences favorable to bees will also be created, so that bees can be observed in action as they collect nectar and transport pollen.
ACTION 4 – Environmental Education Activities
Action 4 is oriented towards the continuation of positive changes beyond the project itself, with attention for the young and very young generations, and therefore provides for collaboration with schools, from elementary to middle schools (mainly by the Legambiente di Valle Camonica association) to secondary schools (mainly by the Biodistretto of Vallecamonica and Val.Te.Mo.).
ACTION 5 – Involvement of local citizens
The fifth action is oriented towards the involvement of local citizens. It provides for the creation of a mixture of seeds (” flower mix”) based on the local flora to be given away in small bags to local people together with information aimed in particular at children and the inscription of the Municipality of Malegno in a network of agencies ambassadors of pollinators.
ACTION 6 – Communication and dissemination
The last action foresees the dissemination of the results by the communication experts of Val.Te.Mo, supported by the CRC Ge.S.Di.Mont centre.
In this section, materials, aimed at citizens, administrators and beekeepers, produced as part of the Beecom project are freely available.
Flora of the municipality of Malegno (indication of melliferous species)