On May 24, 1909, the first European National Park was born in Sweden, and so, at the initiative of the European Federation of Parks – EUROPARC, every May 24 in Italy and the rest of Europe we celebrate European Parks Day.
In Italy, the establishment of the first National Park dates back to 1922 with the Gran Paradiso while the establishment of the Abruzzo National Park, now the National Park of Abruzzo, Latium and Molise, is from the following year. But in our country the system of “green caskets” now occupies a prominent position throughout the country by virtue of the 871 protected areas, totaling more than 3 million hectares protected on land, about 2,850 thousand hectares at sea and 658 kilometers of coastline. These include as many as 25 National Parks, 134 Regional Parks, 148 State Nature Reserves, 29 Marine Protected Areas, 450 Regional Reserves and a vast network of protected sites.
The theme of this year’s European Parks Day is TOGETHER FOR NATURE – Caring for Nature is a Shared Responsibility, so declined by Europarc Federation: protected areas are more than just boundaries on a map; they are living, thriving systems in which everything is connected. From the plants and animals that call them home, to the people who live in, care for, and shape these landscapes, everyone has a role in this shared “partnership of life.” The health of these areas does not stop at the boundaries of protected areas. What happens beyond their boundaries profoundly affects the ecosystems within them. So how can we work together to create the best outcomes for both nature and people, ensuring the resilience of these special places in a changing world?
Staying in Abruzzo, only in the territories served by Strada dei Parchi with the A24 and A25 highways there are three National Parks, precisely the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, the Maiella National Park and the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, the Sirente-Velino Regional Park and numerous Nature Reserves testifying to how the biodiversity of these inland areas, between the Tyrrhenian and the Adriatic, is amazing and justifies the reputation ofAbruzzo as the Green Region of Europe.
Staying on the Strada dei Parchi highway axis, there are several parks, reserves and protected areas that insist from Rome to Abruzzo. But there are several throughout the Latium region, and again this year they are the scene of initiatives and events.
EVENTS ROME AND LAZIO REGION – On Saturday, May 24, Great Celebration of Protected Natural Areas at the Pineto Urban Park – Ente RomaNatura with Nature, Sports, Wellness and Food. Several other events are planned among Monte Rufeno Nature Reserve, Monti Aurunci Park, Monti Simbruini Park, Veio Park and Valle del Treja Park, Posta Fibreno Lake Nature Reserve and Roman Castles Park and Tor Caldara Nature Reserve. Distribution of promotional and informational materials of the protected natural areas Appia Antica Park, Ausoni Mountains and Lake Fondi Park, Riviera di Ulisse Park Authority, Nazzano Tevere-Farfa Nature Reserve, Bracciano-Martignano Park, Monti Lucretili Park, Marturanum Park, Monte Navegna and Monte Cervia Nature Reserve.
All the details on the site dedicated to the Parks of the Lazio Region