On the occasion of Earth Day, Gruppo Prada and Forestami announce the third year of Forestami Academy, a project aimed at engaging and raising awareness among citizens about the importance and role of nature in the city. The program, coordinated by Maria Chiara Pastore, professor at Politecnico di Milano, consists of three meetings, including one field activity, dedicated to exploring the role of plants in contemporary urban contexts, with contributions from international experts from the scientific, academic, and cultural fields.
The title of this year’s meetings is “Plants in Cities: Do We Really Know Them?”, a journey through green architectures, biodiversity, and the invisible relationships between plants, soil, and citizens.
Il primo dei tre incontri del 2025, dal titolo “Piante in città”, si terrà giovedì 15 maggio presso Triennale Milano alla presenza di Paola Bonfante, Professore Emerito di Biologia vegetale all’Università di Torino, affiliata dell’Accademia dei Lincei.
The first of the three meetings in 2025, titled “Plants in the City”, will take place on Thursday, May 15 at Triennale Milano, with the participation of Paola Bonfante, Professor Emeritus of Plant Biology at Università di Torino and member of Accademia dei Lincei.
Paola Bonfante, one of Italy’s leading experts in plant microbiology, will guide Academy participants in discovering the world of urban plants, exploring their environmental and social impact. From photosynthesis to biodiversity, from the history of trees along nineteenth-century boulevards to the criteria for selecting the most suitable species for contemporary urban environments, the focus will be on the interactions between plants and microorganisms in urban soils, key elements for the well-being of metropolitan areas. The meeting will be enriched by a field experience dedicated to the identification of shrub and tree species within the garden of Triennale Milano, set within the context of Parco Sempione.
“Greener Cities, Better Lives: The Role of Plant Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Urban Spaces” is the title of the second meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, June 18 at Triennale Milano, with the participation of Tiziana Ulian from Università di Torino, Honorary Research Associate at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK).
An expert in plant ecology and biodiversity conservation, Tiziana Ulian will explore the strategic role of urban biodiversity and ecosystem services in creating more livable and inclusive cities. Exemplary cases from around the world will be presented, including the Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom, the Jardín Botánico Nacional in Santo Domingo, and the Botanical Garden of Turin, as tools for conservation as well as drivers of urban transformation. This will be followed by field activities and workshops introducing participants to plant identification
The third and final session of the Forestami Academy, scheduled for September 2025, will be a field experience with workshops focused on plant identification, allowing participants to put the knowledge they have acquired into practice.
Forestami Academy is open to citizens, students, and professionals who wish to deepen their knowledge of urban greenery and actively contribute to the ecological transformation of their territory. Participation is free, subject to registration. Each meeting lasts approximately three hours, from 10:00 to 13:00. Each session will host a maximum of 100 participants.