At the end of October 2018, strong sirocco winds from storm Vaia devastated large areas of the Eastern Alps, felling millions of trees and stripping entire slopes.
In response to this devastation, and on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the University of Padua, the Territory and Agro-Forestry Systems Department - TESAF conceived and implemented the Bosco 800 project, in agreement with the Municipality of Asiago and Veneto Agricoltura, with the aim of greening a forest area that will remain named as the ‘Bosco degli 800 anni dell’Università degli Studi di Padova’. Bosco 800 is located in Asiago, in the vicinity of the Croce di Sant'Antonio, along CAI path 832.
Through an agreement with the municipality of Asiago, an area to be reforested covering a total of 8 hectares has been identified in a historical and highly visible area between Asiago and Monte Zebio, dear to the writer Mario Rigoni Stern, who received an honorary degree from the University of Padua in Forestry and Environmental Sciences. In his works, the writer emphasised the close connection between natural laws and the behaviour of forest ecosystems, and on this basis criticised the reforestation methods adopted on the Altipiano dei Sette Comuni at the end of the First World War, almost foreseeing the serious events that such management would entail for the forest heritage following the Vaia storm.
Approximately 2,000 young plants of different species were planted on each hectare. Replacing the crashed spruce trees, specimens of larch, beech, rowan, laburnum, silver fir, birch, mountain ash and willow were planted. The variety of the newly planted species ensures the biodiversity of the site and at the same time promotes the future development of a forest that is resistant and resilient to climate change and possible extreme natural events.
‘We are and want to continue to be more and more sustainable, in all our choices: from the macro to the more everyday ones. And the reforestation project we have initiated is a concrete example of our commitment,' says Rector Daniela Mapelli. ’The University of Padua makes sustainability, in all its forms - environmental, economic, social - a founding value. The University, so closely linked to these lands, for 800 years rooted in the territory that hosts it, felt the need to intervene, to set skills and passion in motion: we hope that the ‘800-year-old forest’ can remain a visible memory of our commitment’.
The reforestation work, which began in autumn 2022, was made possible thanks to the generosity of many people, companies, organisations and associations who believed in the importance of this project.
Special thanks to: Crédit Agricole Italia Deloitte & Touche S.p.A. GBR Rossetto S.p.A. Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals Italy S.p.A.
Other supporters Alì S.p.A. Unox S.p.A. Pro-Gest S.p.A. Cherry Bank S.p.A. Nice Footwear S.p.A. Unired S.r.l. Compressors Aircomp S.r.l.
Francesco Affaitati Maristella Agosti Elena Autizi Giovanna Baldissin Davide Barban Caterina Barone Alessandro Boaro Eleonora Boccaletto Manuel Bogoni Le bomboniere di Beatrice e Nicola Le bomboniere di Meri e Giulio Luca Bonadies Lucio Bonafede Alessio Bonetto Carlo Bortolato Marzia Bottaro Marina R. Brustolon Monica Bud Grazia Busa Silvia Casella Marta Cavalli Camilla Cavicchi Fabio Cerabolini Francesca Chiara Alessio Cianchi Lucia Colombo Serenella Contesso Isobel Cordone Roberta e Stefano Corsi Lucia Cumer Erica Da Pra Alessia Dainese Lisetta Dainese Alessandro Dal Corso Alessandra Dalla Costa Patrizia Debetto Eugenio Di Rauso Lorenza Dindiani Davide Donà Milena Endrizzi Martina Favero Christian Ferretti Castellani Enrico Fontana Gloria Funari Silvia Fusari Ludovico Galeazzo Nicola Galvan Elisa Giampietri Nicola Gianni Silvia Guerzoni Maria Teresa Guidi Diego Guidolin Lorenzo Iannuzzi Matteo Innao Fatemeh Iranpour Alberto Lanzavecchia Francesca Lorandi Fabio Manenti Bettina Manfrè Agata Mannino Martino Margoni Andrea Marigo Giulio Marin Claudia Martin Andrea Martinelli Annalisa Massaccesi Riccardo Mattuzzi Luca Melotti Marco Menorello Roberto Arturo Meregalli Paolo Michielin Alberto Novaco Lucia Panizzolo Luigi Pantarotto Annachiara Panzeri Leopoldo Passazi Martina Perin Gaia Parisi Francesco Peruzzi Luca Pezzato Ludovica Piovan Paola Pirillo Diego Pituello Bianca Pivotto Francesca Postacchini Alberto Pozzobon Marco Raffo Henry Redondo Marta Rossi Mauro Sabbadin Gioia Sacchi Brunella Santi Giacomo Scenini Carlo Alberto Scotton Elena Squizzato Roberto Taschetto Mariaelena Terrassan Gabriele Tomasi Diego Tonini Camilla Trolese Macchi Antonio Trovato Tobia Turato Alessandro Turco Tiziana Urso Lisa Vacca Eva Vallarin Valentina Vampo Antonino Volpi Alessia Zanetti Paola Zanolin Cristina Zaramella Veronica Zatta Cristiano Zonta
