In the Bear-Smart Communities of the Central Apennines, an educational initiative has begun to raise awareness among children and teenagers about human-bear coexistence.

The aim of the LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors initiative is to enhance human-bear coexistence in Italy, Greece, and further afield. The initiative’s well-attended first two public meetings, in the towns of Pettorano sul Gizio and Vastogirardi in the Central Apennines rewilding landscape, proved very positive and educational events.

The operation of radio tagging a bear that has been regularly approaching Variko was successfully completed.

Coexistence between large predators and humans is essential to conservation. An innovative map, created thanks to the collaboration between scientists and local communities, highlights the critical areas and contributes to the planning of coexistence and conservation measures designed to meet the needs of the territory.

The first official meeting of the “LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors” Greek partners took place in Kastraki of Kalambaka. The two-day meeting on November 7th and 8th 2022 aimed to plan the next actions of the project, to deal with some raising issues of project implementation, but also for team building and further cooperation motivation between the … Continued

Coordinated by Rewilding Europe, 12 partners from Italy and Greece are kicking off a new EU-funded programme that will support living harmoniously with bears in Europe. The LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors initiative will support the development of a network of communities in coexistence corridors.

Bad blow to coexistence: carcasses of poisoned wild animals found in one of ecological corridors in Central Apennines

Held in the village of Pettorano sul Gizio, many of whose residents are already experiencing the economic benefits of rewilding, the event brought together entrepreneurs from across Italy.