Community forests: environmental protection and community well-being
Technical support and specialized training are the tools we use to empower communities in forest management. This process fosters social inclusion and helps protect fragile coastal natural resources.
How do we achieve this? The first step is a comprehensive mapping of stakeholders in the two provinces: civil society organizations, community groups, and private companies involved in natural resource management in various ways. Once the key players are identified, we conduct studies on best practices in community forest management. The aim is to identify the most successful cases and replicate them in the areas where we operate.
We are assisting six selected communities in the process of obtaining certification for community forests, encouraging the exchange of experiences with well-established community forest groups.
At the same time, we support the development of small income-generating activities led by women, such as botanical printing and sustainable beekeeping. Forest products thus become a means of social empowerment for vulnerable women’s groups.
The project is funded by Landesa and coordinated by Istituto Oikos.
Andaman coast: an heritage to be protected
Environmental degradation and livelihood vulnerability are two sides of the same coin. The only way to break this cycle is to restore coastal ecosystems, which are as fragile as they are valuable. Our approach to winning this challenge is based on cooperation between civil organizations, authorities, and local communities.
1. Protecting the sea and coasts: civil society as a protagonist
Activities begin with a detailed mapping of local actors and their skills, followed by promoting collaborative engagement among the various stakeholders. We then provide training and technical assistance to associations engaged in forest and marine conservation to strengthen their capacity to manage and restore coastal ecosystems. We also develop standard operating procedures to make natural resource management more effective.
2. Telling stories, engaging in dialogue, and advocacy
Together with our partners, we have designed a specific training programme that provides young journalists with the skills needed to tell environmental stories, with a focus on carbon footprint and climate change. We also promote collaborations between organizations and media to improve their advocacy capabilities.
One of our main objectives is to facilitate constructive dialogue between communities and authorities. We do this through collaborative workshops aimed at integrating best environmental practices into local and national regulations.
3. The importance of protecting marine and coastal resources
COAST includes a broad environmental education campaign. Teachers receive specific training to address major environmental issues in the classroom, while children are involved in interactive awareness activities. We also organize environmental conservation summer camps, where we plant mangrove seedlings together and learn about key species in seagrass beds, including the dugong.
The project is funded by the European Union, coordinated by Istituto Oikos and implemented in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Foundation for Education and Development (FED), and Save Andaman Network (SAN).
For an urban renewal of Pemba, Zanzibar
With the PURE project, we tackle the most urgent challenges related to uncontrolled urbanization: access to clean and safe water, environmental degradation, poverty, and gender inequality. We do this by enhancing the services provided by local ecosystems, working across five key areas.
1. Improvement of sanitation services.
We rehabilitate wells, train local authorities on the proper technical and economic management of water, and improve sanitation facilities in schools and health centres. A broad awareness campaign aims to highlight the importance of proper hygiene practices to 12,000 students and their families through interactive workshops and street theatre.
2. Waste management.
One of the main environmental impacts associated with increasing urbanization is pollution caused by waste. To manage this emergency, we set up separate waste collection points in 16 schools and composting systems for school gardens, initiate awareness campaigns on the risks associated with poor waste management, and conduct a feasibility study for the management of biomedical waste.
3. Sustainable urban development.
We offer local authorities practical and strategic skills for effective urban planning that sees the local community as an active part of the process. In parallel, we conduct climate risk assessment studies, useful for defining the most effective management and adaptation strategies. Particular attention is given to the physical and mental well-being of the population: we focus on the redevelopment of public spaces, green areas, and recreational areas.
4. Women empowerment.
After specific market skills training, we aim to develop a participatory design process with a selected group of women: the goal is to enhance the infrastructure and furnishings of markets to improve their commercial activities.
5. Enhancement of natural heritage.
The Ngezi-Vumawimbi Forest is an ecological resource with great educational potential. We aim to revitalize this green area by making it a reference point for the community: we organize field visits for public officials and students, with activities that emphasize the importance of protecting this precious resource. The forest will also host a training centre for organic waste composting, available to schools and communities.
The PURE project is funded by the European Union and implemented in collaboration with Oikos East Africa and African Architecture Matters (AAM). It is part of the Green and Smart Cities SASA Program, an initiative of the Team Europe Initiative.
Protecting Lebanon's Natural Reserves
It all starts with training. We provide key stakeholders in each Reserve with effective and up-to-date tools for proper planning and management of agroforestry and pastoral landscapes.
We are also committed to restoring agroforestry and pastoral lands through large-scale environmental management interventions: rebuilding stone terraces, developing composting units using local farmers’ agricultural waste, implementing fire risk reduction measures, and promoting bioenergy.
In parallel, we are working to introduce biomass energy supply systems in public buildings and small and medium enterprises in the agricultural and eco-tourism sectors to reduce fossil fuel consumption.
The ResiLAND project is supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and implemented in collaboration with the Al-Shouf Cedar Society (ACS) and the Association for the Protection of Jabal Moussa (APJM).
Forest Conservation for the well-being of an entire community
To protect the Ngezi-Vumawimbi Forest, we are focusing on three key areas.
1. Biodiversity Conservation.
Our ecologists are collaborating with local and international researchers to study the forest ecosystem’s biodiversity, monitoring plant species, mammals, birds, and lepidoptera using camera traps, pitfall traps, and field research conducted day and night. Strengthening forest management is a key component of the project: with four new forest guards, we aim to enhance ecological monitoring and patrols against illegal activities. In parallel, we are training about 30 key community members who will work alongside the guards to report environmental crimes accurately and effectively.
2. Active Community Involvement in Sustainable Forest Management.
We are promoting educational and awareness programmes targeting 10,000 adults and children and supporting the creation of sustainable micro-enterprises led by women, such as a small restaurant at the forest entrance, seaweed processing activities, soap production, and sustainable crafts. The forest's resources thus become an opportunity to empower 200 vulnerable women.
Waste in the areas surrounding the forest is an urgent problem: to tackle it, we are training 1,000 people on proper waste management and organizing community clean-up days and upcycling workshops for students and young people.
3. Promotion of Responsible Tourism.
The Ngezi Forest has great untapped potential: the currently limited tourist activities could become an important source of income for the local community. We are committed to expanding the range of nature-based activities, including new trails, kayak excursions on the lake at the center of the protected area, and guided tours through spice and medicinal plant gardens. Information panels placed at strategic locations will give visibility to the forest and its rich natural heritage.
The GREEN project is supported by the Fondation Audemars-Watkins and implemented in collaboration with the Department of Forests, Ministry of Agriculture of Zanzibar.
Citizens on the frontline to protect urban nature
Our goal is ambitious: to lead the transition to an ecologically sustainable society. Education, civic engagement and environmental awareness come together to forge a culture of environmental and social responsibility. Teachers, young people and citizens become the protagonists of this change.
Transformative education and ecological literacy
We invest in training the educating community for lasting impact. We offer resources, workshops and ongoing support to enrich the teachers' curriculum and turn every classroom into a living laboratory of sustainability. Through citizen science activities and active citizenship workshops, students become not only protagonists in building a more sustainable school, but also aware and responsible citizens.
Community connection and activism
Green Team wants to create deep links between young people, citizens and their territory. Citizen science initiatives, environmental civic monitoring and immersive cultural walks involve everyone, stimulating care for the environment. The Lambro Observatory APS, with the University of Insubria, leads this scientific and civic exploration. We stimulate civic activism and the co-design of Small Ecological Initiatives. Schools, families and civil society come together to improve and enhance the territory: a collective effort for a more conscious and active community.
Active territorial networks
In order to protect biodiversity and promote education for sustainability, it is essential to know and value the resources already present in the territory. Through a careful mapping of the actors and initiatives active in Milan's Municipality 3 we want to create a shared archive of available resources, which will become the basis for collaborative territorial initiatives. The process is being carried out in close collaboration with the Municipality of Milan and the thematic Working Tables in which Oikos is an active participant (Biodiversity Table of the Municipality of Milan and Environment and Green Table of Municipality 3). The various local actors will thus be able to actively participate in participatory planning workshops promoted by the project to implement environmental care actions. The aim is to build a solid and cohesive network of actors committed to the environmental sustainability of their area.
Green Team is realised thanks to the support of the Fondazione di Comunità Milano Città, Sud Ovest, Sud Est and Adda Martesana and in collaboration with the University of Insubria, the Lambro Lucente Observatory and Municipality 3. The associations active in the area, such as Il Vespaio, WAU - We Are Urban Milano, Vivi Lambrate, MIA - Milano Informata e Attiva and GuardaMI, have also joined in.
We imagine an agricultural system capable of responding to the challenges posed by the ongoing environmental crisis, and a territory that can support biodiversity. How? Through the valorization of natural resources, employability in agriculture, and the promotion of social
aggregation. This is what we aim to achieve in the Insubria-Olona Ecosystemic Territorial Scope (ETS) with the In.Seeds project. A concrete initiative to support producers in two essential sectors for the local economy: agriculture and beekeeping, with a focus on
sustainability and resilience to climate change.
Recovery of ancient practices for a sustainable supply chain
We want to identify biodiverse meadows in the Insubria-Olona ATE suitable for collecting hayseeds, a mixture of seeds of high naturalistic value: an essential technique in an age of environmental degradation and impoverishment, as it allows the restoration of
meadows with high biodiversity. However, it is necessary to develop a protocol that certifies the quality of the product: this way we can define a supply chain for the production and use of hayseeds, to meet the growing demand for native plant material.
Pollen: a resource to be valorised
Beekeeping is one of the most vulnerable sectors threatened by climate change: diversifying its activities is essential for the sustenance of producers. Therefore, we support local beekeepers with specific training on pollen production techniques, providing them with the necessary tools and a laboratory to facilitate the activation of the supply chain, from processing to packaging.
The supply chains we propose are sustainable and innovative; on the one hand, they help make producers prepared to face the challenges posed by the climate crisis; on the other hand, they offer additional economic opportunities and new prospects in the agricultural
sector, while respecting the environment.
Landscape diversification and territorial management
We want to reconstruct the complexity of the landscape of the ETS by introducing elements of diversity: hedgerows and patches of shrubs, new clearings in wooded areas, tree rows in the agricultural landscape, and recovery of stable meadows.
Agroecological interventions do not stop there: to oppose the abandonment of the territory, we network unused areas and those relinquished by owners for management, where environmental improvement works can be carried out and a register of hayseeds-donating
meadows within the ETS can be defined. We gather the needs of small agricultural businesses in the area and support them in their growth through the autonomous production of native hayseeds.
In.Seeds is made possible thanks to the support of Fondazione Cariplo and the Municipality of Castelnuovo Bozzente, in collaboration with the Regional Park of the Pineta di Appiano Gentile and Tradate, the Mughetti Park, and the Regional Park of Monte
Barro.
Municipalities, parks and administrations join forces to protect land
New tools and knowledge for local administrations
We want to make practical and effective information available to the four parks and their 26 municipalities for a sustainable land management. We will do this by writing guidelines on the protection of urban biodiversity. They will also be useful to citizens, especially from small municipalities. In fact, they are responsible for managing private gardens and vegetable gardens, which contribute significantly to increasing urban biodiversity.
From guidelines, one regulation for every PLIS will be produced for sustainable land management, taking into account the specificities of each area. These documents will be the result of a participatory process involving municipal administrations and citizens.
Active citizenship: decision-making participation and green care
Citizens can play a key role in protecting the local environment, but opportunities for participation in urban development planning are often limited. That is why the project aims to support collaboration between administrations and citizenship in the sustainable management of fauna and green areas of urban environment. With the help of the GEVs (a network of eco-guardians volunteers), citizens and local associations are involved in working groups to draw up shared proposals for the municipal regulations and to carry out 4 interventions for the valorisation of the area. The groups will also be able to take part in a short training course on crowdfunding, a useful tool for the long-term sustainability of interventions.
A multi-year programme
Verde Insubria Olona is an initiative financed by Fondazione Cariplo, conceived in collaboration with the Pineta Regional Park of Appiano Gentile and Tradate on the basis of the needs of the area emerged during the active common planning. In fact, the project represents the continuation and consolidation of a multi-year programme for the enhancement of biodiversity, divided into three initiatives: Wet bridge, Sistema Olona and Campo Aperto.
Sustainable development requires transversal skills and participative methodologies to involve students in the ongoing social and environmental transformations.
With this project we want to activate a new educating community to be ecological, informed and aware. We do so by proposing a participatory educational model focused on protection of biodiversity and environmental sustainability.
It is what we called "Wild school" and it is designed so that it can also be replicated beyond the project, in other school contexts.
In addition to the theoretical and practical classroom courses offered by Istituto Oikos educators, there are also concrete environmental restoration interventions to make the green areas of schools more hospitable to pollinators, birds and small mammals, so that the urban biodiversity increases, starting with school areas.
Training teachers and educators for an open, green and innovative school
To increase their knowledge on the main themes of environmental sustainability, teachers will have a new online on-demand course available, which will be added to the materials already available on LeaF - Learning for the Future, the Istituto Oikos e-learning platform.
A group of teachers from 4 schools in Milan and Busto Arsizio will also have the opportunity to participate in "training" courses on the proposed methodologies and they will receive the Wild school kit to propose again the model to their colleagues.
Citizen science paths and activation with students
Knowledge necessarily comes from experience: this is why we will train "Green Agents – Territory Guardians", students aged between 9 and 12 who will be able to take on the role of small field researchers, supported by Istituto Oikos naturalists. Green Agents will also participate in organising communication and mobilisation activities involving their peers.
School open to territory
We also want to involve the local authorities (Municipality of Milan, Municipality 3 and the Province of Varese) in this 'school sustainability' path. The aim is to strengthen the dialogue between school and territory. We will do this with different targeted initiatives, including a communication and awareness-raising event realised by Wild school protagonists themselves.
Young people's interest in environmental sustainability issues is growing year by year and the increasing attention to making sustainable choices is an encouraging sign. Now is the time to utilise an already fertile ground and to build a school truly ecological and actively committed to promoting change.
The project is possible thanks to the support of Cariplo Foundation and the Woolrich Outdoor Foundation.
Mangrove, a resource to protect
Thanks to the support of the Audemars-Watkins Foundation, we are committed to reduce climate vulnerability and protect natural resources in the province of Cabo Delgado. In this area the consequences of climate change are increasingly severe and extreme. To meet this challenge it is necessary to strengthen the skills of local institutions. We do this by developing guidelines for participatory and sustainable mangrove management, in order to offer appropriate knowledge and tools to ensure the conservation of the coastal environment.
In this project the active involvement of communities is crucial: together we study and implement pilot actions for the protection and requalification of mangroves, through the creation of forest nurseries and direct planting activities in selected areas. In parallel, we offer specialized training on income-generating activities that can be developed in this ecosystem such as aquaculture and beekeeping, thus responding to the needs of families.
The first step for environmental conservation is awareness: for this reason an awareness raising campaign will be promoted, targeting 6 villages and the students and teachers of their schools.
With one goal: to find concrete and replicable solutions in order to protect essential ecosystems for the conservation of biodiversity, and for the survival of entire populations.