Rewilding Europe is delighted to announced that Salviamo l’Orso, our partner in the Central Apennines rewilding area, has been awarded a grant from the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA).
A Salviamo l’Orso project titled “Let’s take action for the Bear” was approved for funding by members of EOCA in early November, together with four other proposals from around the world.
With only 50 to 60 individuals remaining, all living in a relatively small area of the Central Apennines, the endemic Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) is today critically endangered. The Salviamo l’Orso project, which comprises four conservation activities, will enhance the habitat of these magnificent animals and hopefully help them to expand their home range.
The EOCA grant, amounting € 30,000, will enable Salviamo l’Orso to carry out the following actions:
- Pruning 150 fruit trees in abandoned orchards in wildlife corridors connecting the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, Monte Genzana Nature Reserve and Majella National Park. By stimulating greater fruit production, this will attract bears away from areas where they could come into conflict with farmers and other local inhabitants.
- Installing 672 optical and acoustic wildlife warning reflectors along 11.2 kilometres of State Road 17 to reduce the risk of traffic accidents involving bears and other wildlife.
- Removing 4 kilometres of barbed wire from mountainous areas between Bisegna and Villalago to reduce restrictions on wildlife movement and improve landscape aesthetics.
- Restoring and improving the signage on three well-used footpaths to help minimise disturbance to Marsican bears and other wildlife.
In line with EOCA philosophy, local communities and outdoor enthusiasts will be involved in the implementation of all these activities. This will hopefully lead to future generations assuming responsibility for their continuation. Salviamo l’Orso has been committed to the conservation of Marsican bears and their habitat since 2012, and has already received numerous grants for its grassroots projects.
Learn more about Rewilding Europe’s work in the Central Apennines here.
Learn more about experiences offered by the European Safari Company in the Central Apennines here.
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