 ITALIA NOSTRA is a no profit national association founded in 1955 for the protection of the environment.  It has always been engaged in national campaigns and actions for the defence of artistic, natural and historical heritage. It is divided in national and local branches as well as in sectors.  Membership is on voluntary basis. ITALIA NOSTRA

Environmental Education  The Sector of Environmental Education runs projects centred on the different aspects and development of landscape.  Reading of the landscape may be considered its most important expertise. The landscape is considered to be a didactic laboratory in which human population has left signs to discover, investigate and explain.

Landscape  A specific environment influences to a great extent a definite kind of society, its economy, its lifestyle and its art.  That’s what has determined a great variety of cultures besides the wealth and diversity of natural environment.  Both natural environment and historical heritage caracterizing a definite place is what we call landscape.

Reading of landscape  The sector E/E has developed a methodological approach of “the reading of landscape” that has experimented in schools with students and young people.  For several years It has been running didactic projects on Italian territory.

Didactic projects  - Cost landscape: “Torre Scatenata” (Unrestrained tower);  - Urban landscape: “Dear Mayor”;  - Agricultural landscape: “ Changing of Agricultural Landscape”;  - Thematic landscape: “La Via Carolingia” (the road of Charles the Great).

The sector E/E of Italia Nostra is moreover engaged in:  Actions and events for the protection of the rights of children and teenagers in collaboration with l’UNICEF;  programmes on training and publishing, interculture, ESD;  projects of international cooperation about sustainable and responsible tourism and of protection actions in areas of particular natural and cultural value.

International Activities  For a few years Italia Nostra has been participating in international activities - it founded Europa Nostra.  It has organized: the international meeting on Architecture “Adobe”; the international working camps in Boscoincittà in Milan and in the didactic Farm of Farfa; intercultural performances and events organized in Roma for “Intermundia”.

Moreover the Italian partnership in the project for the conservation and sustainable development in the area Ramsar of the Lac Debo and Walado Debo, inside the mouth of the river Niger, in Mali, promoted by the Italian NGO “Terra Nuova” and the didactic activities to favour the inclusion of foreigner children in Italian classes, connected with the project.

The Package on Water  Italia Nostra is a member of MIO- ECSDE and MEdIES and it has collaborated for the translation, presentation and dissemination of the Package on Water.  Some of Italia Nostra branches have taken part in international programmes as Comenius.

Cultural Recycling: re-orienting cultures towards sustainability  July 2005 an Italian group from Italia Nostra took part in the Project Cultural Recycling lead by MIO-ECSDE.  Youth engaged in supporting sostainable development patterns in theMediterranean, including the promotion of environmental and cultural heritage protection, mutual understanding and cooperation among young people from different backgroung and societies. Young people working together

Education for Sostainable Development in Italian System of Education  Formal Educations is traditionally based on single disciplines especially at secondary level, while Environmental Education needs a multi disciplinary approach. That’s why E E is included only in the so called “Educations” at elementary and low secondary school.  The System of Education should include in curricula EE and ESD not only as subjects but also as an integrated methodology. That’s the way to make students use of their knowledge and skills to change or improve their life style towards sustainability  The methodology of EE ESD, widely used in informal and no formal education, can support school systems in overcoming old fashioned methods of teaching.  ESD offers a still more integrated approach than EE including the relationship between Environment and Economy. Nature, Society and culture.