CIRCOLO LEGAMBIENTE LIGONCHIO APS

Legambiente Ligonchio Aps is the local branch of the national organization (Legambiente Nazionale Onlus), and it has been active since 2008. Legambiente Ligonchio Aps operates within the Unesco MAB Programme ("Man and Biosphere" ) in the heart of the Emilian Tosco Apennine National Park, in the ancient village of Casalino di Ligonchio, a territory characterized by a low presence of cultural activities, but that is also unique from an environmental, naturalistic and historical point of view. In particular, we work in the field of environmental education for children with the aim of bringing a concrete example of sustainable development in the field of tourism. In Ligonchio we do so in particular through the management of the Ostello dei Balocchi, funded in 2010, where our ESC volunteers will carry on their activities. The former building of the Hostel was previously the primary school of Ligonchio village but it has been totally renovated and expanded in order to adapt it to provide educational services and accommodations. The aim of such hostel is to combine sustainable tourism with local traditions and territory enhancement. This is done through different activities based on environmental education, developed with structured paths and guided visits with donkeys. Ostello dei Balocchi is the first touristic service in the area that connects the traditional hospitality of the mountains with the innovative educational tool of donkeys. We chose to rely on their company and strength because they are animals that are historically connected with these places, and have always been life-coaches and helpers for men. Through its services of hospitality, sustainable tourism and environmental education, Legambiente Ligonchio pursues these goals: • Promoting a different relation between man and environment, one based on the respect toward animals, the environment and on the harmony with nature; • Encourage a different life-style, far from the fast-paced and hectic rhythm of the city and of the consumerist society of today. In this, the donkey plays an important role, representing an important guide and example, due to its slow way of walking, during our organized trekkings. This help us slow down, reflect and take our time to enjoy our surroundings and improve our contact with the nature; • Spreading knowledge about our territory and its traditions, re-discovering and enhancing them especially among younger generations. The activities that are carried out within the Hostel are different and adapted to multiple targets. The regular activities are: • Thematic weekends for children and families where the donkey is at the centre of the daily program, dictating the slow pace of the walks. In this way, participants can fully enjoy the contact with nature and focus on the observation of the environment; • School field visits about environmental education and sustainable tourism; • Educational workshops for kids and youngsters on various topics like art, recycling, DIY, animals and rural life-style; • Summer camps for kids and youngsters from 7 to 14 years old that every year involve more than 150 participants. Participants experience community life and coexistence with others, in harmony with the surrounding environment. Some camps are residential, with a program of activities to be carried out in the hostel itself and its surrounding areas, others are itinerant, with a program that includes a trekking in stages and camping with tents. The most famous itinerant camp is called “Dal parco al mare” (‘from the park to the sea’), launched in 2012, in collaboration with the National Park and the municipalities of Ligonchio and Castelnuovo Magra. This itinerant camp is composed by an eight-days trekking with kids and donkeys from Passo di Pradarena (RE) to the heart of the Park of Monte Marcello Magra (SP).