In recent months, through a participatory approach, some Committees for the Bear-Smart Communities within the ecological corridors of the Central Apennines have become operational. This is an important step towards planning concrete, long-term actions for coexistence between humans and bears.
Why create Committees for the Bear-Smart Communities?
One of the key actions of the LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors initiative is developing these communities through the establishment and operation of local committees. These are groups of citizens representing the most involved sectors of each community, who meet periodically to plan and implement decisions related to human-bear coexistence.
This process is neither automatic nor spontaneous; it is promoted by the project’s partner organizations and entities to support the committees during an initial startup and trial phase. The goal is for the committees to gradually operate more independently once the LIFE project concludes. While ongoing support from partner organizations will continue, the hope is that future initiatives will originate directly from the local communities themselves.
Indeed, it is essential that dialogue and planning for coexistence with wildlife start from the voices of those who live these territories every day and share space with animals, so that processes are sustained bottom-up and not imposed from outside.
Methodology applied in the ecological corridor areas
In 2025, this initiative is being implemented across all project areas, with variations depending on local committee characteristics and territories.
For example, in ecological corridors such as Alto Molise and Valle Roveto-Ernici, after officially introducing the committee members, two workshops were designed and held in each municipality to establish the committees’ dynamics in areas led by Rewilding Apennines: Vastogirardi, San Pietro Avellana, and Morino.
These committees include representatives of various stakeholders involved in human-bear coexistence, such as hunters, truffle foragers, farmers, community organizations, municipal officials, forest rangers, nature guides, and conservationists living in the respective municipalities. Each committee also includes a “Bear Ambassador,” represented by a person from Rewilding Apennines or Salviamo l’Orso.
The workshops are designed according to an “action-research” approach by Berenice Guinel, from the Rewilding Apennines team, and Paula Mayer, a PhD student at the ETH Zurich, in a highly participative format with the aim of:
- Provide a platform to share experiences and visions regarding coexistence with bears in their community.
- Facilitate direct exchanges between associations and local communities.
- Co-design actions necessary to promote human-bear coexistence in specific local contexts, while also creating content for the Coexistence Plan—a document that will be signed by the committee and will have medium- to long-term operational relevance.
The first workshop consisted of three main phases, adopting a socio-ecological mapping approach on a magnetic map of each municipality.
Phase 1. The current situation
Participants mapped their local ecosystems, identifying key landscape types such as beech forests, abandoned or active pastures, and agricultural areas. They then explored the territory from a bear’s perspective, sharing personal experiences and imagining how bears move and utilize local ecosystems. The exercise involved placing bear figures on maps accordingly. Finally, social actors like farmers, hunters, cooperatives, municipal officials, and NGOs were mapped, along with how they manage ecosystems and challenges or opportunities they face due to bear presence.
Phase 2. The desired future (2040)
Participants envisioned their community 15 years ahead, considering positive developments for coexistence. Discussions focused on potential ecosystem changes, adaptation of current actors, the emergence of new stakeholders, and how bears might use this future landscape. The goal was to foster hope and proactive planning within communities.
Phase 3. Pathways from present to future
Returning to the present, participants identified current infrastructures and initiatives supporting coexistence and addressed challenges. They also pinpointed what additional measures could facilitate the transition towards the desired future. The workshop concluded with discussions on implementation and responsibility.
The second workshop, on the other hand, aimed to prioritize concrete actions for human-bear coexistence in the respective municipalities. Building on the results of the first participatory workshop and focusing especially on the phase entitled ‘The desired future’, this second workshop aimed to clarify which actions the committee would prioritize, locating them specifically on the map, assigning responsibilities and timeframes.
Next steps include implementing these actions, drafting the Coexistence Plan, and organizing future committee meetings to sustain ongoing discussion. Additionally, besides measures primarily aimed at securing food sources that attract bears, this year will feature the “Bear-Smart Communities Festival” in Vastogirardi on August 2-3. This event will be an occasion for sharing best practices, fostering connections, and networking amongst institutions, associations, and small enterprises, all united by the priority of protecting biodiversity elements like the Marsican bear, with respect and tolerance.
Status in the PNALM and PNGSML
Furthermore, in the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park (PNALM), between April and May, all seven municipalities involved in the LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors initiative officially established their own Bear-Smart Community Committees following consultation processes.
Since the committee is a democratic body crucial for promoting human-bear coexistence, its role in these historically bear-inhabited areas is to gather local stakeholders and plan prevention and conflict mitigation actions alongside local administrators and park representatives.
In May, the first operational meeting of the Lecce nei Marsi Community Committee took place. In a friendly and cooperative atmosphere, with the help of maps and digital tools, initial steps were taken towards the work that will unfold over the coming years.
In the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park area, meetings are just beginning to select representatives of stakeholder groups for the Community Committees. The first such event occurred in late May in Villa Celiera, with more to follow soon.