Life in the city
A green community to protect biodiversity
Protecting urban biodiversity is essential to our health. It is a common good, which is why everyone's involvement is important. In this challenge, citizens can play a key role.
Italy is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in Europe. This wealth, however, is seriously threatened by human activities, particularly in Lombardy. This Region is one of the most polluted and populated in the country, with over 400 inhabitants per square km. Here, the survival of many species and the balance of ecosystems are really at risk. In 2019 alone, 642 agricultural hectares have been converted into urbanized areas, adding to the 287,000 hectares covered with concrete and asphalt.
The Green Deal, the European Commission's plan to achieve climate neutrality in Europe by 2050, represents a historic opportunity. It is the chance to invest in concrete actions to preserve nature, even in the cities. In this context, Istituto Oikos is engaged in fighting the current environmental crisis, improving the health of ecosystems and strengthening the welfare of the community in the Municipality 3 of Milan, in Varese and in Cassano Magnago. We do this through concrete and collaborative actions involving experts, professionals, students and citizens. Our goal is clear: to mobilize the entire community in the protection of urban biodiversity, essential for our well-being and survival.
How we are taking care of urban biodiversity
Our experts monitor urban flora and fauna to build digital maps describing the state of biodiversity conservation in the urban context. With this mapping, they help local authorities to manage green spaces in a sustainable way. What's new? The collection of environmental data is done in collaboration with citizens. In parallel, we develop co-design paths to rehabilitate urban green areas, planting local shrubs and varieties of native flowers that encourage pollinating insects.
We develop training paths, contents and initiatives for teachers, municipal officials, green designers and urban planners. We do this through LEAF, the e-learning platform of Istituto Oikos. Our free courses focus on biodiversity and urban greening, in on-demand and streaming mode.
We involve the entire community in the protection of public green through multiple proposals. Support in the creation of urban gardens, organization of meetings and workshops, sustainability education activities aimed at schools, to raise awareness among students on the importance of protecting the territory.
Biodiversity indicators: an example
Many animals are key indicators of the health of the cities. Among these, birds, which are easily observable in urban contexts. In Italy there are about 500 species of birds: of these, almost 200 nest in the city, among the branches of urban parks or under the roofs of houses. Protecting them is a collective responsibility. Preserving the animal and plant species of the urban ecosystem also means improving the quality of life of citizens, who are an integral part of that ecosystem.
Sharing, care and common good
We believe in sharing the effort to preserve and rehabilitate the green areas that surround us. For this reason, our goal is to create a community in which citizens can actively participate in the protection of urban green. How to do it? By participating in monitoring activities, contributing to the work of mapping urban green and sharing information about local biodiversity.
If you care about nature and would like greener cities, join us and become the protagonist of your city! Together we can protect the biodiversity that enriches parks, gardens and green areas. Engaging in this also means improving our quality of life.
