15 April 2019 – International Erasmus project

Following the launch on 8 October 2018, work is continuing on the second international Erasmus+ project involving the Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark; ‘Geoheritage and climate change for highlighting the professional perspective’ is the title of the project, which involves eight partners, including the Sesia Val Grande Geopark Association, and spans three countries and three geoparks (Italy, France and Finland).

During this school year, Italy has been working remotely with Class 4 CB (Environmental Studies) at the Cobianchi Institute, where, on 4 April, Professor Marco Giardino, a geomorphologist from the University of Turin, gave a talk on the Anthropocene; the lecture was also followed via videoconference by students from the Rokua and Chablais Geoparks. From 15 to 17 April, meanwhile, the Cobianchi students took centre stage in a three-day programme focusing on climate change and the professions affected by this issue, particularly in a mountain environment. During the event, the pupils were organised into working groups and engaged in practical activities involving observation, research and discussion, as well as having the opportunity to meet various local professionals. The group was accompanied by Cobianchi Institute teachers Patrizia Balzarini and Carlo Ramoni, and by Ilaria Selvaggio, a science communicator and hiking guide who works with the Sesia Val Grande Geopark.

Key themes of the activities included the use of local resources in the past, the Walser people as an example of adaptation to climate change, and the new professional challenges associated with mountain-based activities.

On the first day, the pupils visited the ‘Resga di Brasei’ in Rassa – for which we would like to thank Luca Cerruti, the mayor of Rassa – and the Walser Museum in Alagna, for which we would like to thank Lorena Chiara; On Tuesday, activities were held to explore the geological and geomorphological features of the area and the use of its resources; On Wednesday, the programme concluded with sessions focusing on the ski lifts in the Monterosa Ski area: we would like to thank Claudio Francione, technical director of Monterosa 2000, and Federico Tognetto, a ski instructor and final-year geology student. The afternoon was devoted to a concluding discussion with the students, reflecting on the topics covered over the three days.

The next event is scheduled for the 2019–2020 academic year, when the exchange will take place between Italian and French students, who will visit each other’s geoparks.