The Final Booklet of the LIFE WolfAlps EU Stewardship Program is out
“Engaging in Coexistence,” a book that narrates one of the most important and innovative actions of the LIFE WolfAlps EU project, the Stewardship Program, is now available online (in Italian and English). This initiative was created to experiment with new forms of active collaboration with stakeholders interested in engaging with the project through idea exchange, knowledge sharing, and pilot action development.
What is stewardship? It is a complex concept that encompasses shared care, responsibility, and protection. In the LIFE WolfAlps EU project, a steward is a stakeholder who chooses to engage actively with the project because they believe it is in their interest to do so, regardless of their opinion on wolves. The program stems from the realization that the wolf issue involves a wide range of interests and stakeholders: hunters, farmers, and environmentalists are key examples, but the list is much broader and diverse. In the contentious issue of human-wolf coexistence, every steward is different, and there are many ways to “participate” and be responsible. The Stewardship Program allocated time and resources to experiment with new collaborations with groups of external stakeholders interested in staying involved, even if they have divergent views on the project.
We believe that differing viewpoints can be a strength rather than a weakness in developing better models of coexistence between wolves and humans in the Alps.
The booklet primarily serves to synthesize the key elements of our experience, providing a clear and honest overview of our main objectives, milestones, and activities conducted with our stewards. These include various information, education, and territory enhancement initiatives, as well as involving stewards in monitoring, scientific research, and damage prevention activities. However, the booklet goes beyond this by conducting a critical analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the action, recognizing successes, and addressing challenges encountered along the way. It aims to extract practical suggestions that we believe will be useful for future initiatives of this kind.
One of the main objectives was to give voice to the stewards themselves and other projects engaged in local community involvement actions: an entire chapter is dedicated to the coexistence experiences of some of the most active stewards.
Coexistence and conservation rhyme with participation. Therefore, the booklet also shares other international community involvement experiences in the conservation of various species, with dedicated in-depth boxes. It discusses Bear Smart communities in Canada and in the heart of the Apennines with the LIFE Bear Smart project, the role of hunters in the return of the lynx in Slovenia (LIFE Lynx project), and the involvement of landowners in the protection of wild orchids between Piedmont and Liguria (LIFE Orchids). There are also insights on the concept of human-wildlife coexistence and conflict, and the theme of participation in conservation actions.
A content-rich booklet, yet accessible to all, thanks to the unique and humorous illustrations and infographics by @Sara Filippi Plotegher and the graphic design by @HG blue.
To learn more about the meaning of Stewardship and the project stewards, visit the dedicated page: Stewards – Life Wolfalps EU.
Illustrations by Sara Filippi Plotegher
