Stakeholders involved

Project stakeholders form a living and complementary community, which is essential for building shared knowledge of biodiversity and more participatory land management:

• Universities, the scientific engine of the project, which ensure rigor, method and innovation in research activities.

• Area schools, involved in educational paths and experiential activities that turn students and teachers into young nature explorers.

• Citizens, protagonists of Citizen Science initiatives, called to observe, listen and actively contribute to wildlife monitoring.

• Volunteer Ecological Guards (GEV), valuable bridge between institutions and territory, engaged in supporting monitoring and daily protection activities.

Main expected results

The expected results will paint a clearer and deeper picture of the area’s biodiversity, providing a solid foundation for future protection strategies. Specifically, the project will lead to:

• An updated checklist of the wildlife groups present in Parco Nord Milano, PLIS P.A.N.E. and Val di Mello, essential for assessing the conservation status of species of interest.

• Better understanding of anthropogenic impact by comparing current data with past information.

• New directions for creating suitable breeding and wintering areas, supported by data collected through GPS trackers on amphibians and odonates.

• High-quality acoustic information, produced by passive monitoring, critical for identifying elusive species and ecological trends.

• More accurate data on land fragmentation and habitat preferences useful for targeting management interventions.

A set of results that will significantly improve the ability to know, interpret and protect the area’s wildlife.

Dissemination results

One of the key objectives of the project concerns the dissemination and replicability of monitoring techniques, so that the methodologies tested can be applied beyond the boundaries of Parco Nord Milano. In this perspective, a structured collaboration is planned with the Parco Agricolo Nord Est (P.A.N.E.), a protected area of more than 4000 hectares: data exchange, the implementation of a georeferenced naturalistic database and specific refresher courses for the Voluntary Ecological Guards will allow the transfer of skills and operational protocols.

Another area of dissemination concerns the Val di Mello Nature Reserve, where Parco Nord Milano performs management and scientific research functions. Here, the techniques developed-from acoustic monitoring to GPS tracking of small species-will be integrated with the management activities already underway. In this way, the project is set up as a replicable innovation laboratory, capable of generating transferable scientific knowledge and strengthening conservation practices in multiple territorial contexts.