Inside the Forests – Scuola Forestami

2022–2024 · Forestami / Parco Nord Milano · scientific curatorship

Inside the Forests is an educational and science-communication programme developed within Scuola Forestami to provide tools for understanding how forests and urban woodlands function. It starts from questions that frequently emerge in public debate — why trees are harvested, how forests change, how climate affects them, how much carbon they store and what increasing biodiversity actually means — and addresses them by connecting field observation, forest ecology and management. The objective is to provide interpretative tools rather than simply a collection of facts about trees and forests.

The programme presents forests as dynamic systems in which trees of different species and ages compete for resources, respond to disturbance and progressively modify stand structure and microclimate. Management is discussed through its observable effects and through the different objectives it may pursue, including conservation, adaptation, production, safety, soil protection and ecosystem services. Particular attention is given to differences among naturally developing forests, managed stands and newly established urban and peri-urban forests, avoiding the use of a single set of criteria for evaluating very different ecosystems.

Reports and outputs: Forestami – Inside the Forests