The final report of June 30 2019, delivered by the European committee

Last July, the final report was delivered, the technical and financial report summarizing the 7 years of activity carried out as part of the Life Magredi Grasslands Project.
In the response letter, the European Commission expressed its appreciation for the considerable commitment made during the 7 years of activity, not least in the organization of the Final Conference whose success, in terms of participation and involvement of the schools and the territory was confirmed in person by the project monitor Alberto Cozzi invited to participate in the event.
The Commission also commended the significant conservation and restoration efforts, congratulating the Biodiversity Service on its excellent results in both quantitative and qualitative terms. The 480 hectares of dry grasslands recovered represent an even higher level of restoration than expected.
The letter ends with some requests of explanation on technical and financial aspects to which the Region will respond in the course of the coming weeks.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THE FINAL REPORT BELOW

Final Report

On June 5 2019, at the request of the nursery of Montecchio Precalcino (VI) seedlings and seeds of Molinia caerulea and Eriphorum latifolium, were provided to the technicians of Veneto Agriculture coming from the biotopes and the Friuli nursery according to the agreement that establishes the exchange of plants, genetic material and germplasm between the nurseries managed by Veneto and the Autonomous Province of Trento and the collaboration with the University of Udine in order to ensure the protection of all the rarest and most endangered species worldwide and at community, national and regional level, including some species of the magredi and Friuli resurgences.

Rare species cultivations at the Friuli nursery Palazzolo dello Stella (Volpares company)

The Region through the Biodiversity Service has carried out the important Project Life Magredi Grasslands in order to recover, enhance and preserve a natural and historical environment that uniquely qualifies the region. The project has allowed the restoration of almost 500 hectares of dry grasslands on four Natura 2000 Sites in the high Friuli plain: the Magredi del Cellina, the Valley of the Medio Tagliamento, the Greto del Tagliamento and the Confluence of the Rivers Torre and Natisone. An important pillar of the project is also information and dissemination initiatives including a specific educational project aimed at schools.

As part of the review, the info material produced within the Life Project was distributed, including the publication "Magredi found?
All the participants were given a complimentary copy of the volume and other important info material produced as part of the project, including the text for teachers and nature guides "This year at school we promote the magredi!".

To receive a copy of the info material: stefano.fabian@regione.fvg.it

The publication presented at the final conference

At the Malnisio plant, there was a beautiful presentation evening of Stone balancing in the magredi by Vicenzo Sponga and Gabriele Meneguzzi, former directors of the important Land Art exhibition in Pordenone and Polcenigo "Humus Park". The event was organized by the cultural circle "Per le Antiche Vie? (On the Ancient routes) in collaboration with the Region's Biodiversity Service. Stefano Fabian spoke on behalf of the Region, the Mayor of Montereale and the President of the Association Vittorio Comina.
During the evening, the final conference of the Life Project in Udine was announced on May 17, in Udine, inviting everyone to participate.

The evening dedicated to Land art in the magredi in Malnisio

On April 27, 2018, the project was presented in an open-air route called "Stories of Cellina between Ravedis and Partidor: the signs of human-made transformation". During the event, Stefano Fabian spoke and presented the main activities and results achieved by the Life Magredi Grasslands project.

On April 16 2018, as part of the lesson on Ecology of Environmental Restoration of the degree course in Environmental Sciences, the seminar was held entitled "The restoration of dry grasslands in lowland and river environments: criticality and solutions: the example of the Life Magredi Grasslands Project. The seminar held by Dott. Oriolo saw the presence of about twenty students and doctoral student

On February 11 2018, about 30 people took part in the event "FORTEZZA FVG - From military space to shared space" created by Legambiente of Pordenone in collaboration with various bodies and associations. The event lasting half a day took place in the Dandolo Military shooting range (ZSC "Magredi del Cellina"). The attached leaflet for more information.

Fortezza Friuli

On October 26 2017, an important information exchange and networking meeting was held between the staff in charge of the Life Project and a delegation made up of staff from the Croatian Ministry of Environment and other associations and bodies of the Croatian Republic as well as some representatives of the Italian Ministry of Environment and Protection of the Territory and the Sea.
In the morning, a visit was planned to the areas at the Dandolo di Maniago (ZSC "Magredi del Cellina") to see the areas restored as part of the Life Magredi Grasslands project. This inspection had the aim of observing the results achieved by the actions of restoring the arid grasslands from uncultivated and previous cultivated lands. In the afternoon, another survey was carried out in the areas of the ZSC "Greto del Tagliamento" where it was possible to observe the areas subject to the action of restoration of dry grasslands starting from degraded newly formed bushes and areas invaded by the alien specie Amorpha fruticosa.

On June 8th, 2017 at the Economics Technical Institute "Odorico Mattiussi" of Pordenone about 40 students attended a lesson on Friuli Grasslands held by the Responsible for Communication of the Life Project.

The documentaries "Life Magredi Grasslands" and "Magredi yesterday, today and tomorrow" have been shown during the lesson and the publication of the same name in addition to "Pordenone's Magredi, the latest praires", "At school this year we promote Magredi", "By flower to flower" and "A protection network for Nature" have been distributed.

The Management of the Technical Institute on the basis of the stimulating experience presented subsequently a candidacy project fot FSE PON 2014-2020 Programme entitled "Act locally, think globally" to be carried out with the support and the collaboration of the Regional Service recipient and owner of Life Project. 

If the submitted project is selected, it will be possible to involve some Local Associations and Administration in order to design some cycling routes across Magredi.

On May 28th, 2017 the Landscape and Biodiversity Regional Service guided a delegation of A.DI.P.A. Botanical and Horticultural Association in a visit of about 100 hectares of arid restored grasslands at Dandolo in Maniago. It was the first time members of the Association visited those that they could appreciate as the tallest meadows of the whole Padano Veneta Friulana plain. Attendands were excited about the results achieved by the Life Project, hoping for new insights to make this extraordinary botanical heritage still unknown to many enthusiasts.

The international networking conference "Environment needs LIFE for the next 25 years" was held on May 25th-26th, 2017 at the European Commission Conference Room in Ljubljana.

The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region's delegation attended the workshop on May 25th taking advatage of this occasion for exchanging information and experiences with other Life Projects beneficiaries both in Italy and in Europe.

During the round table dedicated to the comparison of the various Project's beneficiaries, some Officers of the Landscape and Biodiversity Regional Service illustrated the activities and results of the Life Magredi Grasslands Project through a poster specifically prepared for the convention.

Many delegations, both Italian and foreign, had the occasion to notice the wide amount of information (from publications to documentaries) prepared for the dissemination and promotional activity of Life Project.

On May 26th, 2017 at 20.30 at Vil­la Cat­ta­neo - San Qui­ri­no (PN) a con­fe­ren­ce de­di­ca­ted to the en­han­ce­ment of Ma­gre­di and Re­sour­gen­ces  a­rea was held in a crow­ded hall.

Du­ring the mee­ting or­ga­ni­zed by the Pro-Cor­de­nons As­so­cia­tion in col­la­bo­ra­tion wi­th the Landsca­pe and Bio­di­ver­si­ty Re­gio­nal Ser­vi­ce, Ste­fa­no Fa­bian and Pier­pao­lo Zan­chet­ta spo­ke a­bout the va­rious the­mes re­cal­led by the e­ve­ning's sub­ti­tle: from the pa­ths and i­ti­ne­ra­ries u­se­ful to sup­port "slow" tou­ri­sm, to the need to bet­ter coor­di­na­te ru­les and tools to ma­na­ge the ter­ri­to­ry in or­der to a­void bu­reau­cra­tic pa­ra­ly­sis, to the re­sto­ra­tion work car­ried out un­der the Li­fe Ma­gre­di Gras­slands Pro­ject.

The e­ve­ning en­ded wi­th the in­ter­ven­tion of Ga­brie­le Me­ne­guz­zi and Vin­cen­zo Spon­ga who il­lu­stra­ted how ma­gre­di and ri­ver­bed landsca­pes ha­ve al­ways been in­spi­ra­tion for peo­ple and ar­ti­sts who, li­ke them, ha­ve been wor­king for years in the field of Land Art and spe­ci­fi­cal­ly of Sto­ne Ba­lan­cing.

Du­ring the o­ther days con­nec­ted to the e­vent "Bet­ween Ma­gre­di and Re­sour­gen­ces", the­re we­re hi­king, bi­king and hor­se ri­ding, fol­lo­wing the gui­ding li­ne of the e­no­ga­tro­no­mic i­ti­ne­ra­ries for the di­sco­ve­ry of lo­cal and na­tu­ral pro­duc­ts al­so wi­th ni­ght ex­cur­sions or­ga­ni­zed by the Cor­de­no­ne­se Na­tu­ra­li­stic As­so­cia­tion.

On April 22^nd 2016, in Vivaro, as part of "Let's meet in the Magredi" show the Life Project and the related documentary was presented. The event, organised in cooperation with the local Ecomuseum "Lis Aganis" was attended by about 25 people.

On April 9^th 2016 at the Spilimbergo Agricultural Engineer Institute auditorium the Life Project was presented to students and citizenship. A first map of routes and hiking trails and a calendar for the visit of the dry grassland natural aspects during the different seasons were introduced.

The map, prepared by Keeppoint, is one of the planned tools to promote a "slow turism" inside Magredi. The event was attended by about 150 people including representatives of the Region, the Mayor of Spilimbergo and the President of the Institute. At the end of the conference, some local companies offered a free glimpse of the typical local products.

On March 31^st 2016 a cooperation with "Pro Pordenone" Association for the preparation of a photographic book of Magredi and Pordenone Resourgences started. The Landscape and biodiversity Regional Service handled a specific chapter dedicated to "Magredi di Pordenone" relevance and to  what the Region is doing as part of the Life Magredi Grasslands Project.

On September 15th 2016 7.00PM, at "Gelateria-Pasticceria Montereale" in Pordenone, on the occasion of the Pordenonelegge.it Festival the book "From Magredi to  Noncello" will be presented.
Stefano Fabian, responsible for Life Magredi Grassland Project communication explains the environmental peculiarities of Magredi.

A key aspect of the Life Magredi Grasslands Project is represented by the information and divulgation activities dedicated to grasslands' awareness promotion, with particular relevance of the environmental education project for schools named "This year at school we promote Magredi!". It involved 56 classes, more than 120 teachers and over 1130 students in training and teaching paths: during 2013/2014 classroom and outdoors workshops were held, while during 2014/2015 it was set up a specific contest for the creation of a logo and a slogan useful to promote the grasslands.

Sunday, June 7th, 2015 at 9:30 at the Region Auditorium in Udine there was the official closing of the contest with the awarding of logos and slogans selected.

The ceremony was attended by:
Mariagrazia Santoro: Regional Councillor of infrastructure, mobility, spatial planning, public works, building
Magda Uliana: Regional Director of infrastructure, mobility, spatial planning, public works, building
Diego Masiello: Coordinator of the Educational Nature Center of Basovizza
Massimo Stroppa: Director of the Regional Forest Service
Graziano Danelin: Director of the Regional Natural Park of the Friulian Dolomites
Stefano Santi: Director of the Regional Natural Park of the Julian Alps
Stefano Fabian: Head of communication and educational activities of the Life Magredi Grasslands Project
Gianna Sgobino: Support environmental education activities

Magredi and Life Project were presented on Sunday May 24th, 2015 in Budoia as part of the first Meadows and Hay Feast.

SHOW PDF

Also as part of the NATIRA 2000 DAY week and in collaboration with Prodenone section of FAI Giovani Association, on May 17th, 2015 an hike in the SCI "Magredi del Cellina" at Dandolo/Maniago was carried out.
40 partecipants appreciated the beauty of the place and attended the presentation of the results of the grasslands recovery remedial measures conducted on about 100 hectares of formerly fallow lands. The astonishment was great and generalised when observing that where until only two years ago there was only a proliferation of brambles and weeds, wild orchids literally exploded in bloom: a clear sign of colonization already in place by the most typical species of the grasslands!

During the week dedicated to the "NATURE DAY 2000", Thursday May 14th at the hall of the City Library T. Degan in Pordenone the documentary "LIFE MAGREDI Grasslands - a project for recovering Friuli grasslands" was presented.

A description of the documentary could briefly summarized as:

"With their silence and stillness the grasslands constitute a unique ecosystem dominated by the presence of stones locally called "claps".
The documentary explores the environment of arid grasslands in various aspects gradually revealing how and what - especially in summer and winter - appears as a stony barren desert but hides an environment rich in biodiversity. Steppes miraculously survived at the edges of the Po Valley.
For this reason the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia is developing the project LIFE MAGREDI GRASSLANDS that involves the restoration of 400 hectares of dry grasslands on four protected areas of European importance.
The documentary shows the various stages of restoration of the meadows threatened by the advance of the Woods and the invasion of non-native shrubs.
Thanks to this initiative the basis for transforming grassslands from an abandoned place to a chance to preserve and enhance a territory at the same time unusual, extraordinary and unexpected in the context of regional, Italian and European have been laid."

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The work carried out by the Primary School of Cavasso Nuovo in collaboration with the Region from which the publication " Magredi, yesterday, today and tomorrow" had been taken became a documentary.

The production constitutes the visual archive of the experiences carried out by the children accompanied by teachers and by experts in the Magredi area, a site rich in biodiversity and in rare habitat protected at European level, an environment and rural frame that uniquely characterizes our Region and that can become an opportunity to enhance, together with the peculiarity of the places, also its most rare and special products.

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On Saturday 12^nd and Sunday 13^th of April 2014, AIAPP (Italian Association of Landscape Architecture) in collaboration with the Regional Service for the Landscape and Biodiversity Protection organized two days dedicated to magredi within the annual exhibition "Landscapes and Open Gardens ".

During this spring edition AIAPP selected one hundred places on the Italian territory where the landscape resources and economic development are coexisting in a positive symbiosis. Ordinary and extraordinary landscapes that could be explored allowing visitors to discover and rediscover the richness of the unique and unusual landscapes and their ability to be the engine of economic development in all its meanings, from tourism to manufacturing, through am unusual interdisciplinary connection.

On Saturday 12^th at the Modern Art Gallery Auditorium at Galvani Park in Pordenone, Stefano Fabian had introduced the Life Magredi Grasslands Project, illustrating how the Region is doing to protect biodiversity and to enhance this landscape so typically Friulian. The day later the attendands had the opportunity to take part of a tour dedicated to the Magredi's territorial peculiarities with a visit to some local wineries and wine tasting rooms followed by an inspection of the "Magredi del Cellina" protected site with the observation of local flora and fauna. During the tour the restoration activities carried out by the Region as part of the LIFE Project and realized thanks to the fundamental contribution of funds made available by the European Union were briefly explained. The visit, as a whole, has enabled participants to better understand the natural and socio-economic impact of these such unique and biodiversity-rich  "ppor lands" and to understand how nature conservation is now perceived not only as a constraint but as opportunity to move energies and to promote the growth of positive proposals throughout the local area. 

https://www.turismofvg.it/Evento/118743/Magredi-antichi-vitigni-il-paesaggio-e-il-vino-itinerario-tra-viticoltura-e-natura

Cordenons, April 11^st - The magredi - Magredis in Friulian language - meadows, ancient and unique natural environment between Tagliamento and Livenza rivers, as subject of a new documentary produced by the Press and Communication TV Production of Region Friuli Venezia Giulia was presented at the Cordenons Auditorium. Considered for a long time as empty and worthless arid stony spaces, Magredi entered today in the European Natura 2000 Protection Network. They have been the focus of a project that involved Cavasso Nuovo's schools and the Regional Department for the Land Planning to work on conservation and future, rekindling old links with nature and with the culture of the land.
A publication first and then a movie have picked up the story, the testimonies and experiences of those who lived deep bond with nature and a difficult environment. The "once upon a time" that grandparents have told the children of schools has become images  marked by the cycle of the seasons. An important path for a recovery of the values ??connected to the land and to the centrality of the efforts over time by the men who have kept what experts today are calling biodiversity, elements that are also at the center of the new Landscape Plan that Friuli Venezia Giulia is developing in a continuos synergy with the territory said Cordenons' mayor Mario Ongaro and the Regional Council Member Mariagrazia Santoro. 

FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA REGION website in-depth analysis

As planned by the environmental education proposal "This year in school we promote grasslands", on December 12th 2013 in the Region Palace in Udine the training day dedicated to teachers of classes who have joinedthe two-years project was held.
In the same day Stefano Fabian described the ecology aspects of the dry grasslands, the Life Project contents and the printed booklet with some cards for conducting specific laboratory activities in the classroom and outdoor; Cristiano Francescato in detail described the recovering measures and the monitoring activities inside the four sites involved by the project; Roberto Parodi has highlighted particular aspects related to the avifauna; Mauro Galdana and Raffaela Corrado have taken care of the part relating to environmental education; Antonio Cordenons proposed a series of images dedicated to the grassland landscapes,Antonio Cossuta finally animated a short final workshop.
During the day in addition to the three publications that the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia dedicated to the grasslands, other informative and naturalistic material edited by the Region were distributed in order to allow an improving of the teaching activity scheduled by the project.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013 , at 20.30 , at the municipal hall of Vivaro , was held an information evening dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the magredi within the project " Life Magredi Grasslands ." The meeting organized by the municipality of Vivaro , New Cavasso , Maniago was organized in collaboration with the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and saw the participation of: ARPA FVG , ERSA , AS " Western Friuli ," Province , Coldiretti and Breeders Association FVG .
The event was included in the calendar of initiatives that UNESCO , in ? Scope of the week focused on sustainable development , this year decided to dedicate the " LANDSCAPES of BEAUTY ."
The evening also was included in the margins and at the conclusion of the Project Agenda 21 " Open Spaces " at the conclusion of what will be called the new Rules of Rural Police through the involvement of the population and local institutions .
During the meeting were discussed the ecology , landscape and biodiversity of the magredi and the remedial measures , as well as outreach initiatives related to the same Project Life .
The event also included the projection nature and content of photographs dedicated to the artistic landscape of the magredi . The intense and beautiful images of Sergio and Antonio Vaccher Cordenons that for years has been dedicated to the photography of this natural environment so special, have aroused great emotion and interest in the audience agreed .

On May 12th, 2013 the Hunting, Fish Resources and Biodiversity Regional Service, in collaboration with the Udine's branch of Italian Association UOEI (Unione Operaia Escursionisti Italiani), organized an excursion dedicated to the Life Project Grasslands.
The walking path has been articulated for about 8 hours between the "Biotope regional nature magredi of San Quirino" and continued through the SCI of "Magredi the Cellina" to the wildlife observation tower of San Foca (S.Quirino). From here the group of hikers, led by an officer and by a naturalist that the Region has made available for the occasion, crossed the bridge over the Cellina river continuing in the direction of the Dandolo (Maniago) reaching the place subjected to restoration.

The tour, in addition to allowing participants to understand the aims of Life project and the important conservation objectives that the Region and the European Union through the project have set up on the Friulian magredi topic, has produced great enthusiasm by all the walkers which declared that they never had been able to pass through meadows of plain so vast and full of blooms and to appreciate the value represented by the biodiversity associated with them.

During the monitoring visit on April 18th 2013, the European Commission's advisor Alberto Cozzi went, along with the regional Staff who follow the LIFE Project, in the places of the 4 interested SCIs to verify the outcome of the first restoration of dry grasslands.

on Tuesday, April 9th at 8:30PM, at the Centre "Alberto Pasquini" in Zoppola was held the presentation of the Project Life Magredi Grasslands.

The event was organized by the Region in collaboration with the Municipal Library of Zoppola and with the support of Free University of Zoppola, Craf, Eco-museum Lis Aganis, Elementary School and Nuovo Cavasso Grava Bike Association.

During the meeting dedicated to "Magredi of Pordenone" Special Protection Area and "Magredi the Cellina" SCI, Stefano Fabian of  Hunting, Fishing Resources and Biodiversity Regional Service presented the peculiarities of the latest dry grasslands of Friuli Venezia Giulia dedicating a large space to the interventions that the Region is implementing through the Life Project also emphasizing the ongoing informative and educational initiatives. On the occasion was proposed an exhibition of photographs, taken by Sergio Vaccher, Antonio Cordenons and Stefano Fabian, a collection of unpublished and suggestive images and movies of the landscapes and of the unique biodiversity of the magredi.

At the end of the meeting, all attendees (nearly 100 people) received a free copy of the publications dedicated to the Magredi topic issued by the Region. The event was a huge success, so much so that some of the several people who came to the event, as demonstration of the interest that magredi topic is able to arouse, remained standing due to unavailability of seats.