27–29 July 2018: An exhibition dedicated to the plants of Mount Fenera, as depicted in Angela Badino’s drawings

At the end of July 2018, the Sesia Val Grande Geopark Association is staging an interesting exhibition entitled “Verde Fenera. Graphic representations of some botanical species from the protected mountain”, featuring works by Angela Badino, an artist and scholar who has adopted a distinctive technique for creating botanical drawings. The artist, originally from Chivasso, holds a degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Turin and worked as a teacher from 1982 to 2007 in Italy and from 2007 to 2016 in Italian secondary schools abroad, and has therefore been living between Italy and Spain for several years.
The exhibition, held at the Supervulcano Infopoint in Prato Sesia, will showcase a selection of drawings of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants of Mount Fenera, with the aim of arousing visitors’ interest and curiosity, as around 400 species of vascular plants have been recorded in the sedimentary area of Mount Fenera, with only a limited presence of exotic species. The basic technique used to create the drawings on display is ink stippling, to which watercolour or pastel has been added to give the artist’s work a more personalised touch. Each species is accompanied by a fact sheet containing some essential botanical information and a literary quotation, thus bridging the gap between the worlds of science and the humanities.
With a keen interest in environmental issues and, above all, in the study of the local area, Angela Badino is a volunteer with the ‘Reforesta’ Association, and has collaborated with the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Turin, the Piedmont Region and the Province of Vercelli on the revision of herbariums, floristic surveys in protected areas and sites of naturalistic importance, and teaching on courses for volunteer nature wardens. She is co-author of numerous botanical publications, including *Trees and Shrubs of the Lame del Sesia Park*, *The Red Banks of Biella*, *The Abbey of Sant’Andrea: Art, History and Botany*, and *The Flora of Mount Fenera*. She has written many articles on urban greenery, mountain vegetation and natural environments for local newspapers, branch newsletters, and both popular and specialist magazines. A speaker at conferences and refresher courses, she has taught botany and ecology at the Università Popolare di Vercelli. Currently, on the initiative of the Complutense University of Madrid, she is editing the Italian versions of guides and audio guides for several museums in the Spanish capital. Passionate about drawing, she is self-taught and has exhibited in Italy and Spain.

The exhibition opening will take place on Friday 27 July 2018 at 6.00 pm, and the artist will be introduced by Dr Piera Mazzone, director of the Farinone Centa Civic Library in Varallo, which has previously hosted an exhibition of her paintings dedicated to the world of plants and their spirit. Refreshments will follow.
The exhibition will continue on Saturday 28 (10.00–18.30) and Sunday 29 (10.00–13.00 and 15.00–18.30) at the Infopoint in the Allafonte Shopping Centre, Via Valsesia 10, Prato Sesia.
For further information: 340 3486552,info@supervulcano.itorwww.supervulcano.it.