Created with the aim of creating permanent forests in the area of Parma and its province, the KilometroVerdeParma Forestry Consortium in four years has already planted 70 thousand trees, with the goal of increasing to 100 thousand in 2025.
To implement reforestation projects, green areas and perennial forests throughout Parma and its province wherever, in urban and suburban areas, there is free and available land, public or private, to reduce environmental impact, combat climate change and promote biodiversity. But also create value for communities, livable and socializing spaces.
This is the mission of KilometroVerdeParma: established on May 6, 2020, it aims to act on the environment today, involving and promoting synergies between realities of the public and private worlds, to create a model to entrust to tomorrow’s generations. To date, the Forestry Consortium has 110 members, including ordinary members (owners or the owners of the land, all located in the Parma area, intended for planting) and supporting members (who support the project without carrying out planting activities).
They are offered services such as technical assistance, planting design, participation in projects and promotion of activities, and preparation of the PEFC (Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) forest certification manual.
So far, 70,000 trees and shrubs have been planted on a total area of 70 hectares, promoting 45 reforestation projects: a green legacy of new forests, in the city and province, capable of capturing and storing 3,245.65 tons of CO2.
The next goal? The planting of 100,000 trees by 2025. Particular attention is paid to the younger generations, and since its creation the Consortium has been dedicated to the WeTree project, involving the world of Parma schools of all levels, to raise awareness among students about the value of urban forests and the importance of respecting nature. An ‘initiative that from 2020 to 2023, has involved 436 classes and more than 10,571 students in the area with more than 105 educational trips between environmental explorations and tree planting. Full of interest is the network of scientific collaborations carried out by the KilometroVerdeParma Forestry Consortium. Among them are the University of Parma and the Botanical Garden, for research activities on the benefits of ecosystem services related to new plantings, particularly adaptation to climate change, urban heat island mitigation, water regulation, pollution reduction and the social value of green spaces.
At the end of 2023, a study on the impact of ecosystem benefits generated by forests was published: commissioned by the KilometroVerdeParma Forestry Consortium, co- financed by the Cariparma Foundation and conducted by the Sacred Heart Catholic University spin-off Vsafe, it analyzes the cost-benefits related to forestation interventions. While in collaboration with CINSA-National Interuniversity Consortium for Environmental Sciences-a research project was carried out, aimed at building a network of Ecological Corridors.
Contacts are also close with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Environment. If, through the MapMyTree platform, it is among the organizations contributing to the mapping activity of new trees planted in Europe, in Italy, the KilometroVerdeParma Forestry Consortium documents new plantings through the platform of the Alberitalia foundation. It is also among the 46 organizations that have signed with the City of Parma the City Climate Contract, which sets goals and actions to achieve a total 85 percent reduction in emissions by 2030.
There are five sectors in which the future actions under the City Climate Contract will focus: buildings and transportation, waste and wastewater, industrial processes and products, agriculture, forestry and other land uses.
The Consortium has also signed the Carbon Neutrality Parma Territorial Alliance, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality in the Parma area by 2030. Next to the Consortium are the Emilia-Romagna Region, Province of Parma, City of Parma, Management Authority for Parks and Biodiversity Emilia Occidentale, University of Parma, ARPAE Emilia-Romagna, National Research Council, Unione Parmense degli Industriali, Parma, io ci sto!
Link to download images: https://bit.ly/KilometroVerdeParma
For information: KilometroVerdeParma Forestry Consortium.
Via Cavestro 3, 43121 Parma
Email: info@kilometroverdeparma.org
Web site: www.kilometroverdeparma.org
Press office -> http://www.elladigital.it
