I Creativi della Spazzatura
This wide-ranging project aims to deal with inappropriate behavior, ignorance, and sometimes criminal activity which created several environmental degradation situations in the Province of Lecco. Against this, a culture which demands from government a rapid and accurate intervention on this degraded areas has spread. While this may be fair, on the other hand it is often difficult to be realized, because of the huge and widespread emergency situation and the lack of economic resources that can now be used for interventions of this kind.
Luckily, on the territory, there is a very important presence of voluntary associations that try to meet the need for protection and enhancement of natural areas. From the various “Amici di …” (Friends of...), the Civil Protection groups, the Italian alpine troopers, to the structured environmental associations, such as Legambiente itself. It is thanks to this voluntary world if annually so many situations of decay are recovered and valued .
Volunteer work, against criminal actions, can only intervene with actions of condemnation and demonstrations of legality, however against wrongdoing and ignorance, it can be relevant, if not crucial. This is the reason behind this project of Legambiente Lecco, financed by the Foundation of the Province of Lecco for the 50%, while the remaining 50% is funded by private and public entities that believe in the credibility of this proposal.
The project idea, in addition to work at several significant and both highly symbolic and necessary interventions, is to create communicative instruments full of visual impact and educational value which can portray lifestyles, virtuous and environmentally sustainable behavior, information and education. There won’t be only requalification actions (which are still the center and the main part of the project proposal), but also related communication activities through the creation of a educational path that will be permanently installed at the Parco Monte Barro Hostel and which in the future could be implemented with other environmental issues such as biodiversity, sustainable energy, water saving, etc ..
The project focuses on three main topics:
• Restoration of situation of environmental degradation
• The culture of reuse
• The art of recycling as a communication instrument
Azioni
Restoration of situation of environmental degradation
This action will take place around four places of degradation which we have inspected:
- Mandello del Lario, in the locality of Moregallo
- Lecco, in the locality of Bione-Rivabella
- Galbiate, in the locality of Villa Vergano
- Swamp of Brivio, in the locality of the Serraglio island.
First intervention. Lake Como has unfortunately, and may be still partly, been used as a landfill for many years. Recently we were contacted by an association of divers who informed us that in the locality of Moregallo lies a real dump of cars and especially tires. While it is difficult and environmentally almost useless to remove the cars now as the metallic parts are already decomposed and the oils and synthetic pieces dispersed in the environment, it is possible to recover the tires. In fact their time of decomposition is estimated as a few hundred years, with a slow release of the derived oils. This action will be realized in collaboration with some associations and groups of divers based in that location, and with the help of Legambiente’s volunteers. The firsts will work to remove from the bottom of the Lake the hundreds of abandoned tires, while from the shore Legambiente’s volunteers will work together to bring these tires to a dumpster located on the road. A part of these tires will also be re-used to produce artistic pieces of furniture, during an educational workshop that will be hosted at the Parco Monte Barro Hostel.
Second intervention. Still on the shores of the lake, but this time on the Lecco side of Lake Garlate in the locality of Bione-Rivabella, we are aware of a great quantity of waste of all kinds, carried by the Adda floods. As part of the Legambiente campaign “Clean Up the World”, we are going to engage some classes from the schools of Lecco during a big cleaning day, being careful not to alter the fragile environment of the lake, as in those areas takes place the nesting of some species which, accidentally, often feed on plastics, which can also lead to death by suffocation. Following indications of fauna’s experts we're also going to recover some nesting areas of waterfowls and make them serve their purpose.
Third intervention. Another place of degradation is the main road that goeas from Galbiate to Colle Brianza. Here is habitual to find abandoned bulky waste. This action consists in a cleaning work in cooperation with local voluntary groups and schools of Galbiate.
Fourth intervention. At the Swamp of Brivio, the canal of Ruggiolata divides the marshy area of the Seraglio island and the area near the country road that extends towards the localities of Morti del Bisone in Cisano Bergamasco, Sala in Calolziocorte and Monte Marenzo. This drain, which can roughly be defined as the "alternative route" of the Adda, is fed by the waters of this important river which, in times of flood, brings many wastes from upstream towns. The Swamp of Brivio is a Site of Community Interest (SCI), for its high biodiversity and for being the rest area of the migratory fauna to the Alps, along with the other SIC Reserve of Pian di Spagna. Hence the importance of keeping this natural area clean from waste and at the same time trying to create waste storage areas at the start of this canal, thus avoiding the difficult recovery alongside the over two kilometers of it.
2 – The culture of food reuse
In our everyday life, too busy in hectic times, often we just "grant" one life to waste. This leads to an increase of trash to be disposed of and forces us to greater expenses. Each of us, however, can "give" a new life to waste and scraps. The stereotyping of behavior has also led us not to see, and in many cases not know, the endless possibilities we have to use differently what is commonly considered waste. With this second action we want to concentrate on the food culture meant as the daily routine in the kitchen. Now we fill our organic trash bin with a multitude of "scrap" food. Beside the environmental aspect, we should know that we are bringing to the composting economic resources. With the collaboration of the “Corso Addetti alla Preparazione Pasti” (Course for meal personnel) of C.F.P. Aldo Moro in Valmadrera we want to contribute to the reduction of waste through a training course about the reuse of kitchen scraps and also about cooking with poor products, or knowing how to create tasty food with products close to the expiration date. This action, in addition to being a proposal for virtuous behavior for the environment within the permanent exhibition we're going to build and install on the educational path, illustrated in Action 4, will lead to a cookbook that will deal with this subject and may in future be a supportive element in cooking classes.
3 - The art of recycling as a communication instrument
In collaboration with artists from Lombardy and through the organization of recycling workshops, open to schools and adults, we will create artworks and pieces of decor reusing some of the waste recovered during the actions for the recovery of degraded situations. These artworks will be placed both on the educational path illustrated in Action 4 and on the retrained places of the 4 interventions illustrated in Action 1 and will be a proof of the work done by the volunteers and serve a environmental education instrument.
4 – Creation of an educational path and a traveling exhibition
The three actions mentioned above will have a communicative/visually adaption as panels and art installations on a path within the Parco Monte Barro, in the locality of Eremo in Galbiate. The realization of the path will also be an opportunity to re-qualify an area placed near the center of the park and the hostel called " l‘orto dei semplici” (the garden of the simple).
This educational path, in addition to show the environmental rehabilitation works undertaken, will suggest sustainable lifestyles and behaviors for achieving reduction and proper disposal of waste. Some other elements of this permanent exhibition will be placed on roll up banners and shown around the Province of Lecco during informational and educational activities, other cleaning and restoration events, structured or informal occasions about spreading environmental culture that will be proposed by Legambiente, sometimes in collaboration with the partners of this project, in different local contexts.
5 – Signposts and testimony installations near of the rehabilitated areas
In order to prevent the recurrence of situations of degradation signposts and artistic installations will be placed in proximity of the areas cleared from degradation to testify the work done. There will also be other information plaques that will show the contact details of the six institutional entities to inform in case of detection of acts of incivility.
