IMPOLLINATUSCIA

Pollination, essential for the reproduction of flowering plants and the maintenance of the biosphere, is increasingly threatened by the decline of pollinator populations and the extinction of certain species, as highlighted by numerous studies. To address this crisis, the University of Tuscia has committed to biodiversity conservation, launching the IMPOLLINATUSCIA project, which engaged students from the “Paolo Ruffini” Scientific High School in Viterbo in research and awareness activities.

Students from classes IIIBS, IIIDS, IIICS, and IVCS, coordinated by Principal Claudia Prosperoni and Prof. Monica Nobile, participated in the project by monitoring and collecting insect samples in three areas of Viterbo: the “Angelo Rambelli” Botanical Garden, the Fattoria di Alice, and the Santa Barbara Gardens, each characterized by varying levels of naturalness. During the spring, students conducted field monitoring and sample collection, while in November, they performed morphological and genetic identification of species in the laboratories of the Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences. The project, coordinated by Dr. Andrea Chiocchio with the support of Dr. Michela Paoletti, was funded by the University as part of its Third Mission initiatives.

As a concluding event, on June 6, 2023, a public event was held at the “Angelo Rambelli” Botanical Garden, organized by the Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators. The event featured contributions from Prof. Pierfilippo Cerretti, an entomologist from La Sapienza University of Rome, local researchers, and the students themselves, who presented the project results to the audience.