Gran+Paradiso+National+Park.+Parco+Nazionale+Gran+Paradiso

=Ms. Emanuela Simonato prepared this presentation to take to Catalonia in October 2011 in order to show our partners the oldest national park in Italy, which is celebrating its nintieth birthday in 2012! It also shows all the animals that have chosen the park as their habitat, not only the four predators that we are studying. Above all, it shows the wolves that have recently arrived naturally, without any help from man, of their own choice.= ||  || ==Dr. Michele Ottino, director of the Gran Paradiso National Park, affirms that harming wolves is strictly frobidden according to the European Convention of Bern, the Habitat steering committe and Italian law. At the same time, he admits that sometimes wolves can harm flocks of sheep or other farm animals. Consequently, pastures have to be managed well and farmers compensated for any damage done by wolves.== ==With regard to the relationship between man and wolves, the two experts guarantee that wolves haven't attacked man in hundreds of years, being a very illusive and shy animal. Statistics prove that a dog is potentially more likely to attack its owner. Wolves and men have co-existed for centuries and we must continue to do so.== ||  ||
 * [[image:canislupus1.jpg width="560" height="358"]] || =The Gran Paradiso National Park was the first park to be established in Italy in 1922 and is therefore the oldest park on national territory. Together with the Parc National de la Vanoise in France, which shares a common border, it is the largest protected area in western Europe. It is proud to be responsible for having saved the ibex from extinction.= ||  ||
 * =media type="custom" key="12305142" align="left"= || =The Gran Paradiso National Park=
 * media type="youtube" key="0h1vVtRWgCU" height="315" width="560" || ==In this video, entitled "Wolves are back in the Gran Paradiso National Park", we can find out some very interesting facts regarding the natural return and colonization of these predators in Aosta Valley. Thanks to the interview with Dr. Bruno Bassano, the Park's veterinary surgeon, we learn that their presence has contributed to an unequivocal ecological and biological improvement in the National Park due to the fact that wolves exercise control over foxes and wild boar, species which impact negatively on the environment. Wild boar destroy fields and forests while foxes prey on marmots, white partridges and grouse. Although about 10% of ibex disappear every year, this is not caused by the presence of wolves. In fact, wolves are very selective in their choice of prey. They hunt weak or sick ibex, thus contributing to a natural selection.==
 * [[image:VDA_map_PNGP.jpe width="589" height="219"]] || =This is where you can find the Gran Paradiso National Park... in the heart and at the crossroads of the European Union.= ||  ||
 * media type="custom" key="21264172" align="left" || ="Io, il lupo." "I am a wolf" was the title of the lesson that Roberto, nature guide and the person responsible for "Habitat", an association that accompanies people in the discovery of the National Park, brought to school. It was a perfect presentation for the excursion on snowshoes which was to follow. In February 2012, we ventured into the Park, looking for traces of wolves!!= ||  ||
 * [[file:Presentazione_Gran_Paradiso.ppt]] || ==Although almost every piece of work regarding the Comenius project is presented in English, sometimes it is necessary to communicate with an Italian audience. Therefore, students prepared some posters in their own language.== ||  ||
 * [[file:IL PARCO NAZIONALE GRAN PRADISO.doc]] || ==This is a summary in Italian of the outstanding features of the Grand Paradiso National Park.== ||  ||
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