Federazione Nazionale Pro Natura

Italian environmentalism began in June of 1948. The “Movimento Italiano Protezione della Natura” (known today as the “Federazione Pro Natura”) was first established in Valle D’Aosta, while in October of that same year, at the International Congress in Fontainebleau, the IUCN was established, to which Pro Natura became a founding member. At that same moment in history, the Italian Republican Constitution made vague references to nature as an imprecise, lovely painting, as stated in article 9 of the Constitution, based on the previous law, number 1497, established in 1939. Any existing environmental group on the planet at that time was more concerned with scientific study and cultural implications, rather than any sort of political movement dedicated to the protection of ecosystems. This was true for the following associations, established in the 1800’s: the “Piedmont Zoophiles Society”, the “Italian Botanic Society”, the “Italian Zoologists’ Union”, the “Italian Alpine Club”, “The Cyclists’ Touring Club”, the “Val D’Aosta Flower Society”, the “Pro Montibus et Silvis”, the “Ragazzoni Naturalist Group”, the “Association for the Protection of Picturesque landscapes and Monuments”; as well as those established directly after WWII: the “Italian Naturalists’ Union”, and “The Naturalist Society of Verona”. «The idea to gather together, in Italy, a diverse group of such rare, courageous and passionately forceful men in the field of environmental protection…”, ”it came to me after having seen so much successful work in this field being carried out abroad, and then realizing how precious little had been done in Italy…”.”The fact is, I’ve been searching desperately for the last three years to find ways to save the Gran Paradiso National Park…”. ”Experience has taught me that naturalist societies that are ‘too brainy’ or ‘too scientific’ are unable to even partially reach these goals. I’m convinced that the only possible way to protect nature is through a beating heart. Immers