The Erasmus + "Forest Ed" project, which will start next December and will last 16 months, stems from the need for a change towards a sustainable development model, in which all of us as a society, have an important role through our actions and in which forests are essential as they are natural capital, necessary for the conservation of biodiversity and to provide ecosystem goods and services essential for well-being.

Thanks to the memorandum of understanding between the Mediterranean Network and Slow Food International stipulated last May 25, the Model Forests of the Mediterranean Network held a webinar as part of “Terra Madre – salone del gusto” during which they talked about the activities they are carrying out to promote sustainable management in its territories.

MAY 2020_The Mediterranean Network of Model Forests and Slow Food International have signed a collaboration agreement that aims to stimulate cooperation between the two Association not only internationally but also and above all locally, following the principle of "think globally and act locally", which is very dear to both.

On November 19, 2020, the Model Forests of the Mediterranean will hold a webinar as part of the "Terra Madre" event organized by Slow Food. This webinar is a showcase of good practices concerning sustainable forest management in the Mediterranean countries: from Spain to Croatia, from Italy to Turkey. An opportunity to learn more about the systems that can support local communities, promote local agricultural products and stem the tide of depopulation of the highlands. The free event will be held in webinar format on the Zoom platform, for up to 100 participants, and live on our Facebook page. To receive the Zoom link, simply subscribe by clicking here, however, it will always be possible to follow the live Facebook if the participants exceed the maximum number of 100. The event, which will be translated simultaneously into Italian and English, will start at 5:00p.m. and will end at 7:00p.m.

Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest Association together with Castagno d’Andrea Visitors Center of the Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna National Park (in Tuscay, Italy) organize, for the next 18 October, a day of direct experience and an in-depth meeting on the preventive and therapeutic functions of the Forests in the splendid context of the beech woods of Mount Falterona. The event is called "Meditation and health in Forest" and aims to be the first step towards a more structured project.

It was 2014 when the Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest Association (Tuscany, Italy), in particular the Culture and Tourism thematic commission, presented the “Tre Passi a Monte” project. Since then seven editions have been held, and it has become an annual event dedicated to environmental education and knowledge of the material and immaterial cultural heritage of the territory.

This September the European Commission will launch the Horizon 2020 GREEN DEAL call (budget 1 billion euros), which will close in early 2021. This call will mobilise research and innovation to foster a just and sustainable societal transition aiming at ‘leaving nobody behind’.

The International workshop “Model Forests and their Importance in Changing Climate Conditions” will be held on 15 and 16 October 2020 in the Lower Morava Biosphere Reserve (Czech Republic) The propose of this event is an introduction of scientific and professional value of Model Forests for sustainable forest and landscapes managements in changing climate. Workshop will create a space for discussion about the strategies for the work of Model Forests. Model Forests around the world work on sustainable principle that is an important factor in fight against negative impacts of climate changes.

An edition, the thirteenth, which will be global, digital and physical, with a rich calendar that will be inaugurated on October 8 and will last until April 2021. The edition is renewed by proposing a new "world geography" that has as its common thread research and protection of biodiversity. The focus is therefore no longer on individual states but on ecosystems

The Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest association, through the Commission dedicated to the Productive Sector, has launched a short video dedicated to the local top producers (farmers, grazers and honey producers) that are part of the Model Forest association, with the aim of stimulating those who look at it to visit the Tuscan lands and choose local, high quality and sustainable products.

“Forest Ed” was born for a simple reason: all official reports, including the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), confirm that climate change is the major challenge of the 21st century for humanity. To address it, a change in the development model is therefore necessary at all levels and in all sectors: environmental, social and economic.

On Tuesday July 7, 2020 the various members (candidates and non-candidates) of the Mediterranean Model Forests Network, the Secretariat of the Mediterranean Network and that of the International Network, met in conference calls to update themselves on the activities they are carrying out and coordinate on any new projects. The meeting initially focused on a report related to the activities carried out by the new secretariat of the Mediterranean Network, which focused on starting new projects, sponsoring others and implementing communication activities.