Last week, from 20th to 23rd June, the Mountain University Centre of Excellence – Edolo(BS) Campus of the University of Milan – chose the Rieti area to host its Summer Camp. The courtesy and enthusiasm of all those who contributed to the realization of this scientific field trip, made this an educational experience which was useful, but also fun and full of opportunities to create new contacts and establish important human relationships.
The UNIMONT Summer Camp was the first step towards the activities of the Italian Mountain Lab project, proposed and coordinated by Prof. Anna Giorgi of the Mountain University and funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research, aimed at implementing the research, training and networking activities for mountains throughout Italy. A field trip in which more than 50 students and lecturers were able to discover the Rieti area thanks to guided tours and educational activities in places and businesses in the area.
Our special thanks to Next Rieti – to the President Lorenzo Micheli and Nicola Bianchi, Ginevra Flaviani, Enrico Miluzzo, Letizia Vannicelli – and colleagues at the University of Tuscia – Prof. Bartolomeo Schirone, Course Coordinator of the Degree Course in Mountain Sciences; Prof. Gianluca Piovesan and Dott.ssa Tatiana Marras and Maria Raffaella Ortolani who led the Unimont group to discover the Rieti area.
We would also like to thank all the friends listed below, including many young people, whom we met and who dedicated time to tell us their experiences, with technical expertise and great enthusiasm, transmitting the will to care for local territory and culture and to reactivate small local activities full of extraordinary resources, the real “triggers” of a “revolution” possible in a country that has huge unexpressed potential in mountain areas. Thanks to these new friends, now members of UNIMONT’s virtual community:
Laura Ciacci, President of Cooperativa sociale Campagna Sabina in Rieti; Daniele Dascenzio, Caseificio Dascenzio; Fabio Desideri, President of CAI Lazio; Enrico Ferri, photographer and mountaineer; Maria Antonietta Di Gaspare, Mayor of Borbona; Marcello Di Loreto, manager of Molino Santa Susanna (Sorgenti Santa Susanna – Rivodutri) and park guards and environmental guides of the Regional Nature Reserve Laghi Lungo e Ripasottile; Scott Mensing, University of Nevada; Ines Millessimi, CAI Amatrice; Luciano Perazzi, employee and breeder at one of the most important Ichthyogenic centres in Italy, an excellent fish-farm owned by the company Erede Rossi Silvio; Barbara Pittalis, Agriturismo Pittalis; Alessandra Onofri, Head of the Istituto Alberghiero “Costaggini” di Rieti; Saveria Teston, ITC-CNR; Miguel Açebes Tosti, Founder of Tularù; Marco Valeri, manager of the Refuge CAI “Angelo Sebastiani”; Jean Philippe Vaquier, Marketing consultant – Boutegue Vaquier