The Rewilding Apennines team and local partners are working to ensure that Marsican brown bears and communities can thrive together in Italy’s Central Apennine mountains. This year, an educational programme and a popular festival brought together residents of all ages to strengthen the vital connection between people and the wildlife on their doorstep.
Towards a thriving future
In Italy’s Central Apennine mountains, the Rewilding Apennines team are working to create conditions where both people and the local population of endangered Marsican brown bears can thrive together. A growing network of large-scale wildlife corridors is helping bears and other animals move safely between protected areas, while the establishment of so-called “Bear-Smart Communities” within these corridors is encouraging and enabling residents to live alongside bears in ways that benefit both people and wildlife.
Engaging people in and around the landscape is vital to strengthen co-existence. Through various initiatives in education, tourism, enterprise, and culture, the team is building diverse partnerships and highlighting the wide-ranging benefits of rewilding. These efforts, brought to life through several new initiatives launched this year, are fostering greater collaboration and uniting residents of all ages around a vision for the landscape underpinned by nature recovery and a brighter future for people and bears.
Living with bears: a celebration
In Italy’s Central Apennine mountains, the Rewilding Apennines team are working to create conditions where both people and the local population of endangered Marsican brown bears can thrive together. A growing network of large-scale wildlife corridors is helping bears and other animals move safely between protected areas, while the establishment of so-called “Bear-Smart Communities” within these corridors is encouraging and enabling residents to live alongside bears in ways that benefit both people and wildlife.
Engaging people in and around the landscape is vital to strengthen co-existence. Through various initiatives in education, tourism, enterprise, and culture, the team is building diverse partnerships and highlighting the wide-ranging benefits of rewilding. These efforts, brought to life through several new initiatives launched this year, are fostering greater collaboration and uniting residents of all ages around a vision for the landscape underpinned by nature recovery and a brighter future for people and bears.
Strengthening the bond between people and nature
Festival highlights included science communicator Mattia Iannantuoni’s comedic take on the biodiversity crisis and musical performances by the popular orchestra from the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. The rockabilly band Turbolenti soon had everyone dancing, while festival-goers sampled fine Apennine cuisine prepared by a variety of local food producers.
“From music to dance to food tasting, the festival drew hundreds of local residents, giving them the chance to learn more about the importance of co-existence with Marsican brown bears in a light-hearted, communal way,” says Rewilding Apennines Communications Manager Angela Tavone. “Events like this show how culture, community, and conservation can unite to deepen the essential bond between people and nature.”
“The festival was a wonderful way to educate people about why we should live with bears and how best to do that,” adds Rosaria Marracino, an environmental educator who led a children’s workshop at the event. “I chose to present the bear as a wild animal — rather than a fictitious character — because by deepening our understanding of its natural behaviour, we can learn to really appreciate and co-exist with it.”
Enterprise network launch
During the festival, the Rewilding Apennines team launched the Coexistence Enterprise Network, created to promote and connect local businesses and producers committed to living alongside wildlife. The launch opened with a meeting where network members exchanged challenges and best practices related to the development of wildlife corridors.
Adding a creative twist, a theatre workshop trained nine participants to help tell stories about co-existence in the landscape. On the final day of the festival, the group performed narratives based on real-life accounts collected from farmers within the network, accompanied by a cheese tasting that showcased the authentic local produce on offer at the event and across the landscape.
Nature-based business networks are a growing feature of Rewilding Europe’s expanding portfolio of rewilding landscapes — uniting nature-positive enterprises, enhancing the products and services they provide, and generating fresh economic opportunities. They mean local businesses and communities can enjoy direct economic benefits from the recovery of wild nature, which in turn generates more support for rewilding.
Educating the next generation
To boost outreach further, the Rewilding Apennines team also launched an education programme this year. Its aim was to teach children and teenagers from kindergartens, primary schools, and lower secondary schools in the wildlife corridors of the rewilding landscape — as well as the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise and Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga national parks — about human-bear coexistence, while deepening their connection with nature. Developed in collaboration with dozens of local teachers, the programme engaged more than 700 young people.
Programme activities included classroom sessions where games, animations, and creative projects helped children learn about bears, their habits, and their interactions with people. Lessons also tackled practical questions, such as how to prevent bears from approaching towns, and how to behave responsibly in the mountains to avoid disturbing wildlife. Following classroom sessions, visits to local nature reserves saw the children explore bear habitat first-hand.
“From the outset, the children and students were highly curious about the Marsican brown bear,” says Angela Tavone, who led the programme with colleagues. “It’s easy to spark a connection between young people and bears — the greater challenge is conveying the idea that living side by side with them is essential if we want to create a better, wilder future for this landscape. Our hope is that when this generation grows up, they will still be able to enjoy the presence of this extraordinary animal.”
Daily co-existence contest
To consolidate learning and foster a sense of ownership, all students and teachers involved in the education programme were invited to take part in a contest titled “Human and Bear: a Daily Co-existence“. Participants submitted creative projects reflecting their thoughts on how people and bears can live together every day, through artistic media of their choice — from drawings, dance, and music, to theatre performances, podcasts, and writing. The five winning entries included an art gallery featuring a coexistence-themed mural and a song offering tips to prevent bears from entering towns, with awards presented at a special ceremony in June.
“I really enjoyed learning about bears and how to behave when you meet them,” says eight-year-old Luigi Di Giallonardo. “My classmates and I put on our theatrical performance about living with bears several times. I hope we can protect these animals because they are our neighbours here.”
“The kids were very excited to be part of this contest,” adds Angela Tavone. “One school even combined their drama lessons with what they had learned about bears to create a performance for local people and families, which was warmly received at the awards ceremony. The children were clearly proud of their work and I believe the experience will stay with them for years to come.”
Creating lasting change
Reflecting on a busy and inspiring summer, Angela Tavone concludes: “This year has shown what can be achieved when communities, schools, and local partners come together to celebrate and protect the precious Marsican brown bear. Through education, culture, and enterprise, we are building stronger foundations for long-term co-existence that benefit both people and wildlife.”
Looking ahead, the Rewilding Apennines team remain committed to maintaining and expanding their co-existence efforts across the Central Apennines, which are deepening support for rewilding and giving nature a platform to recover and flourish. Their efforts are shaping a future where people and wildlife not only share the landscape but thrive within it, ensuring the unique Marsican brown bear continues to be a living symbol of the Apennines.
Written by Holly Tuppen, who is based in the UK and has been writing about and consulting on nature restoration, connection, and tourism for over 15 years.
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