Web design by: Jacqueline Curcio

Story by:Cook Alciati

Photos by: Cheryl Trovato

Video by: Candace Cage

A number of environmental groups in the Cagli area have banded together to protect their natural environment while trying to bolster their economic development through ecotourism, according to Aldo Loris, coordinator of La Macina, a local environmental group in Cagli.

Groups such as La Macina work ardently in the area to promote ecotourism through education, which is defined as tourism involving travel to areas of natural and ecological interest, typically under the guidance of a naturalist, for the purpose of observing wildlife and learning about the environment.

Loris says the issue of protecting the landscape has escalated in the past eight to 10 years because industrial developers are increasingly interested in the logging and gravel-mining opportunities near Cagli.

Cagli is located in La Regione Marche in central Italy. It is surrounded by three mountains—Monte Nerone, Monte Catria, and Monte Petrone—that are laden with trees, providing clean air. Additionally, the Burano and Basso rivers flow throughout the countryside providing pure drinking water in Cagli.

Monte Nerone, particularly, offers an abundance of hiking trails, which would directly aid in the promotion of ecotourism in the area.

Loris says that there is a great debate as to how economic development will be handled. The issue is how to increase economic development without ruining the environment.

Loris says that the purity of the land and the richness of the landscape instill great pride in the Cagliesi.

This richness, coupled with the industrial threat, has spawned a number of environmental groups that seek to satisfy a need for economic improvement by promoting environmentally friendly tourism.

These groups include La Macina, Arancia Blu, Lega Ambiente, WWF Italia, Greenpeace, Lupus in Fabula, Argonauta, and Il Grande Albero.

Loris says that these environmental groups reflect the strong interest in protecting the natural landscape from industrial scarring.

Davide Barbadoro, president of Il Grande Albero, or The Big Tree, says that a common goal of all the groups is to protect specific plants and animals indigenous to the area.

Several rare species of plants are in danger of extinction. Endangered animals include a rare type of woodpecker and a rare salamander. These two species are found solely in the mountains around Cagli.

Loris says that ecotourism would both protect the environment and promote needed development.

Opening the area to more ecotourism would capitalize on the abundance of hiking/mountain-biking trails, which could generate an influx of tourists while creating more jobs for local townspeople familiar with these trails, he said.

Although the potential influx of tourists could be seen as a threat to the environment, according to Barbadoro it seems that ecotourists would not damage the pristine environment they want to enjoy by taking part in ecotourism.

Loris has said that his group, La Macina, markets the region’s hiking and biking trails in local hostels and in classrooms to children from kindergarten to the 12th grade.

According to Barbadoro, the possibilities for increasing ecotourism are abundant because there are already a number of hiking and biking trails with well-documented maps to lead tourists through the mountainous region.

There are also many unexplored grottos and caves as well as a number of relatively unused spelunking trails. In addition to the well-documented trails, the mountains are equipped to handle camping.

The area boasts many bed-and-breakfasts as well as agriturismo centers, which are usually situated in wooded areas offering natural swimming pools as well as gourmet, organic cuisine. Such agriturismi provide a vacation that satisfies both a need for ancient Italian culture and a love of nature, according to a brochure published by the Sant’ Apollinare, located to the south of Cagli in neighboring Cantiano.

Centers of this type serve ecotourists, as they are trying to escape the industrial lifestyle by vacationing in ecologically pristine locations.

“While tourism is strongly developing in La Regione Marche,” said Barbadoro, “it is important to realize that it is niche tourism, not mass tourism, which suggests that ecotourism services need to be coordinated by larger groups such as mine to ensure better marketing of ecotourism products.”

Beyond providing jobs for trail leaders, increased ecotourism would provide jobs in the restaurant and campground industries offering tourism-related services that could spur economic development in the region without an industrial influence, he said.

“In order for these services to be offered, however, the area must receive full protection on a legislative level,” he added. Other areas in the region are fully protected as natural reserves like La Gola del Furlo, an ecologically similar area recently protected.

Even though the Cagli area is not yet fully protected, area groups are optimistic that their community will be granted full protection from industrial damage. It has been approved for institution of a national park under current Italian-European environmental legislation.

Barbadoro said, that the main stumbling point for complete approval is a lack of funding which is necessary to employ people ensuring protection of rare plants and animals coveted for both monetary and collection purposes.

“Although development of ecotourism is clearly feasible,” said Barbadoro, “it is essential, as I mentioned before that the environmental groups must organize their services in order to concretely develop tourism in La Regione Marche.”

He also said that expanded collaboration could move eco-tourism from its infant stages to a fully functioning industry benefiting all of the people in the region.
There is great potential for expansion because surrounding areas such as Umbria and Tuscany are already near capacity in the ecotourism market, he said.

“Promotion would come specifically through tourist trade fairs and seminars as well as workshops on both a national and international level,” said Barbadoro