Habitat

The project is being implemented in the Municipality of Montecorvino Pugliano (Salerno), in a previously deforested area near a former illegal waste dump.

In progress Environment

Starting date

14 May 2022

Duration

12 months

Realized by:

Cooperativa Sociale Capovolti

Objectives

Within a 7-hectare park, recovering a total of three hectares of unstable land by planting trees, shrubs, and aromatic and medicinal plants.

Creating an “Apipark” (an apiary for honey production) with an observation point for visitors.

Organizing educational and sensory workshops for people with disabilities and mental fragility. Fostering the employment of fragile individuals in the project.

Establishing distribution and selling channels for natural products.

The project will be carried out next to the Parapoti – San Vito waste dump. In the past the area saw some deforestation interventions and illicit waste dumping. The Campania region is decontaminating and reforesting the dump area, but adjacent land — which lost its attractiveness in terms of production — has been abandoned for years, despite its beautiful environmental context and landscape. Because the area is hilly and the soil is rich in clay, it is also at risk for landslides.

The project intends to plant approximately 2,500 trees, shrubs, aromatic and medicinal plants; a meadow will also be created and will become a biosystem to protect bees and organize training activities.

he “ApiPark” will offer visitors a a variety of emotional and sensory experiences, to be in direct contact with nature. Tree and plant products (seaberry, aromatic plants, medicinal plants, flowers, etc.) will be packaged in collaboration with consolidated local businesses.

Products will then be distributed through new companies that will be set up through agreements with fair trade businesses and social agriculture cooperatives, so as to guarantee sustainability to the project in the future (including training and employing fragile individuals). Thus, a zero-impact, circular, virtuous process will be created where each element is valuable and useful to support the whole circuit.


Local organizations participating in the project:
The local informal network involved in the project includes groups that are deeply rooted in the Salerno province and have had years of experience in their respective areas of expertise.

  • Cooperativa Sociale “Hermes” provides specialized care to youth with learning and autism spectrum disorders;
  • Associazione “Mai Piu’ Soli” includes people suffering from mental health issues and psychiatric disorders and their family members; it collaborates with the local health authority of Salerno in various projects dealing with mental health;
  • Fondazione “Ampioraggio”, aims at building an inclusive and innovative ecosystem that creates jobs and economic and social well-being, with sustainable positive repercussions that can be replicated all over the country.