European Rewilding Network

Paliurus

Wilder coast of the Scerne

Paliurus aims to create a new narrative of the western Adriatic coast based on natural and historical heritage, beyond the mass tourism.
Francesco Verrocchio
The area has a municipal protection being of natural importance. However, camping site development, urban sprawl, dumping and illegal fishing are ongoing threats.
Gianluca Turilli
Paliurus has made four documentary films and screened them in public events to value the environments of the Adriatic coast and raise awareness of young generations and adults.
Francesco Verrocchio
Industrial fishing occurs in the sea waters in front of the shore, except for a buffer of 3 nautical miles from the coast. Paliurus aims to turn it into a catch-and-release zone or no-take zone.
Gianluca Turilli
Paliurus is protecting one of the most endangered landscapes and seascapes in the Italian central Adriatic coast from urban and mass tourism sprawl.
Gianluca Turilli
The Kentish plover has become the flagship species symbolising the environmental side effects of the uncontrolled urbanisation and tourist exploitation of the Adriatic coast.
Bruno Mariani

The coast of Scerne is home to many plant species which have become rare on the rest of the Adriatic coast due to extensive urbanisation, habitat fragmentation and alteration.
Thanks to the proximity of the river Vomano and the coastal agricultural plain between the seashore and the railway, the whole area is an important stopover and breeding site for birds, which nest in the reeds, in the bushes, in the riparian vegetation and on the pebbly shore. The main birdlife species in this wetland are the common ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula), Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius),
northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus).
In particular, the Kentish plover has become the flagship species symbolising the environmental side effects of the uncontrolled urbanisation and tourist exploitation of the Adriatic coast.
Particularly relevant is the presence of the green toad (Bufotes viridis) in the small canals and ponds and seahorses in the sea (Hippocampus). The area could be a suitable nesting site for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), as in 2013 a nest was reported in neighboring Roseto, evidencing that climate change may make such events more likely in the future.
Mammal species are also reported in the area such as beech marten (Martes foina), weasel (Mustela nivalis), European polecat (Mustela putorius), red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and recently also roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa) and the Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus), while dolphins, in particular Tursiops truncatus, swim in the sea in front of the project area.

Project: Paliurus
Region: Scerne
Keystone species: Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)
Type of project: Fostering the development of nature based economies
Aim and vision: Paliurus aims to preserve endangered species and ecosystems and promote an eco-friendly tourism to rediscover, understand and conserve the genius loci - i.e., the innermost identity characteristic of every territory.
Paliurus vision is to enhance the landscape wildness and biodiversity of the coast of Scerne through both passive and active rewilding actions; create a nature destination for eco-friendly tourists (birdwatchers, hikers etc.); and raise awareness of local people and build a feeling of pride and stewardship about the natural values of the area.
Uniqueness of the project: Paliurus protects one of the most endangered landscapes and seascapes in the Italian central Adriatic coast from urban and mass tourism sprawl raising awareness about the importance of rewilding for the environment enhancement, the human well being and the mitigation of the climate change.
Other activities: Community involved
Results you aim to accomplish in 10 years from now on: The organization aims at reducing human pressures on the area and enabling wildlife to recover.
The proximity to the Vomano River mouth guarantees the potential for restoration of a wet area with sweet and salty water and the reconnection of this shore with the hilly areas
Results so far: 1. Promote initiatives for the conservation of natural environments of the coast and hillside of the Abruzzo Region in Italy, focusing on the protection of the last dune and wood ecosystems of the Adriatic coast;
2. Support the Torre del Cerrano MPA and local organisations (such as WWF Teramo, LIPU Abruzzo, GADIT Teramo) to monitor and protect the population of Kentish plover in the municipalities of Pineto and Silvi;
3. Make four documentary films and screen them in public events to value the environments of the Adriatic coast and raise awareness of young generations and adults;
4. Fight illegal fishing in the MPA, in particular clam-trawlers operating in the protected area by collecting photo and video documentations and passing them onto the Coast Guard.
5. Design, produce and distribute scientific and educational material about the Association’s goals, in order to promote the protection of nature from urban sprawl, human disturbance, habitat fragmentation and destruction, and the effects of globalisation onto the genius loci;
6. Encourage the competent organisations and institutions to adapt, improve and enforce in a more effective and complete way thecurrent legislations related to the conservation of the coastal ecosystems and their endangered species.
Inspirational value: The difficulty for small organizations to get funded and so the necessity to raise funds to be able to deliver expected results. The experience of setting up tourist itineraries with very small budget available. The knowledge of marine and coastal ecosystems gained so far and the need for their protection. The combination of cultural and natural heritage protection to promote a unique landscape (genius loci) and preserve it from globalizing projects.
Experience you would like to share: Protection of endangered and marginal areas from mainstream mass tourism and urban sprawl and their promotion as an alternative to main tourist destinations.
Experience you would like to gain: How to set up a strong organization, improve communication skills, upscaling rewilding message, community engagement, land access and management.
Map
Country
Italy
Start year
2019
Size (ha)
52
Area type
Marine: coastal, Mediterranean vegetation, Wetlands
Natural process
Flooding, Predation, Wetland dynamics
Flagship species
Blue shark, Bottlenose dolphin, Loggerhead sea turtle, Otter, Roe deer, Wolf
Paliurus
Paliurus aims to create a new narrative of the western Adriatic coast based on natural and historical heritage, beyond the mass tourism.
Francesco Verrocchio
The area has a municipal protection being of natural importance. However, camping site development, urban sprawl, dumping and illegal fishing are ongoing threats.
Gianluca Turilli
Paliurus has made four documentary films and screened them in public events to value the environments of the Adriatic coast and raise awareness of young generations and adults.
Francesco Verrocchio
Industrial fishing occurs in the sea waters in front of the shore, except for a buffer of 3 nautical miles from the coast. Paliurus aims to turn it into a catch-and-release zone or no-take zone.
Gianluca Turilli
Paliurus is protecting one of the most endangered landscapes and seascapes in the Italian central Adriatic coast from urban and mass tourism sprawl.
Gianluca Turilli
The Kentish plover has become the flagship species symbolising the environmental side effects of the uncontrolled urbanisation and tourist exploitation of the Adriatic coast.
Bruno Mariani

The coast of Scerne is home to many plant species which have become rare on the rest of the Adriatic coast due to extensive urbanisation, habitat fragmentation and alteration.
Thanks to the proximity of the river Vomano and the coastal agricultural plain between the seashore and the railway, the whole area is an important stopover and breeding site for birds, which nest in the reeds, in the bushes, in the riparian vegetation and on the pebbly shore. The main birdlife species in this wetland are the common ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula), Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius),
northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus).
In particular, the Kentish plover has become the flagship species symbolising the environmental side effects of the uncontrolled urbanisation and tourist exploitation of the Adriatic coast.
Particularly relevant is the presence of the green toad (Bufotes viridis) in the small canals and ponds and seahorses in the sea (Hippocampus). The area could be a suitable nesting site for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), as in 2013 a nest was reported in neighboring Roseto, evidencing that climate change may make such events more likely in the future.
Mammal species are also reported in the area such as beech marten (Martes foina), weasel (Mustela nivalis), European polecat (Mustela putorius), red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and recently also roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa) and the Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus), while dolphins, in particular Tursiops truncatus, swim in the sea in front of the project area.

Map
Country
Italy
Start year
2019
Size (ha)
52
Area type
Marine: coastal, Mediterranean vegetation, Wetlands
Natural process
Flooding, Predation, Wetland dynamics
Flagship species
Blue shark, Bottlenose dolphin, Loggerhead sea turtle, Otter, Roe deer, Wolf
Specification
Project: Paliurus
Region: Scerne
Keystone species: Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)
Description
Type of project: Fostering the development of nature based economies
Aim and vision: Paliurus aims to preserve endangered species and ecosystems and promote an eco-friendly tourism to rediscover, understand and conserve the genius loci - i.e., the innermost identity characteristic of every territory.
Paliurus vision is to enhance the landscape wildness and biodiversity of the coast of Scerne through both passive and active rewilding actions; create a nature destination for eco-friendly tourists (birdwatchers, hikers etc.); and raise awareness of local people and build a feeling of pride and stewardship about the natural values of the area.
Uniqueness of the project: Paliurus protects one of the most endangered landscapes and seascapes in the Italian central Adriatic coast from urban and mass tourism sprawl raising awareness about the importance of rewilding for the environment enhancement, the human well being and the mitigation of the climate change.
Other activities: Community involved
Achievements
Results you aim to accomplish in 10 years from now on: The organization aims at reducing human pressures on the area and enabling wildlife to recover.
The proximity to the Vomano River mouth guarantees the potential for restoration of a wet area with sweet and salty water and the reconnection of this shore with the hilly areas
Results so far: 1. Promote initiatives for the conservation of natural environments of the coast and hillside of the Abruzzo Region in Italy, focusing on the protection of the last dune and wood ecosystems of the Adriatic coast;
2. Support the Torre del Cerrano MPA and local organisations (such as WWF Teramo, LIPU Abruzzo, GADIT Teramo) to monitor and protect the population of Kentish plover in the municipalities of Pineto and Silvi;
3. Make four documentary films and screen them in public events to value the environments of the Adriatic coast and raise awareness of young generations and adults;
4. Fight illegal fishing in the MPA, in particular clam-trawlers operating in the protected area by collecting photo and video documentations and passing them onto the Coast Guard.
5. Design, produce and distribute scientific and educational material about the Association’s goals, in order to promote the protection of nature from urban sprawl, human disturbance, habitat fragmentation and destruction, and the effects of globalisation onto the genius loci;
6. Encourage the competent organisations and institutions to adapt, improve and enforce in a more effective and complete way thecurrent legislations related to the conservation of the coastal ecosystems and their endangered species.
Exchange
Inspirational value: The difficulty for small organizations to get funded and so the necessity to raise funds to be able to deliver expected results. The experience of setting up tourist itineraries with very small budget available. The knowledge of marine and coastal ecosystems gained so far and the need for their protection. The combination of cultural and natural heritage protection to promote a unique landscape (genius loci) and preserve it from globalizing projects.
Experience you would like to share: Protection of endangered and marginal areas from mainstream mass tourism and urban sprawl and their promotion as an alternative to main tourist destinations.
Experience you would like to gain: How to set up a strong organization, improve communication skills, upscaling rewilding message, community engagement, land access and management.
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