The Forest in Savona: the project to create Secular Forests in Europe

Find out more about Ecobnb project for the creation of centuries-old woods in Europe, which starts from the Savona forest

The death of the forest is the end of our life. (Dorothy Stang)

Forests have a unique charm and are responsible for over 80% of the biodiversity of the planet earth. A lot of forests have been destroyed to be transformed into settlements, farms, or ground fields. Despite, we are losing upwards of 80,000 acres of tropical rainforest daily, forests and trees are our only hope to fight climate change. Aware of this, with Ecobnb we have embarked on a new project for the creation of centuries-old woods and forests, which begins with the Millesimo forest, in Savona.

Why We Create Ancient Forests

photo via Canva PRO

For over 10 years, through Ecobnb, we have been working to reduce the environmental impact of tourism.

But climate change is moving faster than we would have liked. And we have realized that everything we are building day after day — a more ethical, conscious, and sustainable way of travelling — is still not enough. We want to do more. And we want to do it ourselves, by creating concrete projects that support the presence of trees and biodiversity.

Among our most valuable allies are trees: they absorb CO₂, produce oxygen, protect the soil, contribute to the water cycle, and provide shelter for an extraordinary variety of species. That is why, a few years ago, we began to plant new trees in Italy, choosing to take action close to home, particularly in some areas of the Po Valley, rather than financing plantations on the other side of the world.

We started together with the Ecobnb farmer guardians: we planted native and ancient tree species, restored rows of trees between cultivated fields, and helped bring trees and biodiversity back to our countryside.

But we also know that planting trees alone is not enough. To address the climate and biodiversity crisis, we need complex ecosystems capable of growing, evolving, and becoming true reservoirs of biodiversity over time.

From this awareness comes our most ambitious project: creating the conditions today for the forests of the future to grow.

We started in Italy, in a forest in the province of Savona, where we have begun planting new trees with the goal of contributing, over time, to the creation of a forest ecosystem rich in biodiversity.

Once, much of our country, and particularly the Po Valley, was covered by biodiversity-rich lowland forests. Today, very few of them remain. These ecosystems helped to improve air quality, store carbon, protect the soil, and provide shelter for many species.

We want to help bring them back. Not simply by planting trees, but by creating the conditions for complex and long-lasting forest ecosystems to grow again.

The Forest of Savona

The project to create centuries-old forests has started in Liguria (north Italy), with the regeneration of wood of about 10 hectares, in the province of Savona. The forest in Millesimo, Savona, two years ago underwent indiscriminate and illegal cutting, losing over 70% of its trees.

But the forest is much stronger than we think and has completely different times from humans. Where the trees were cut, they are already finding new seedlings: maples, oaks, hornbeams, chestnuts, and pines …

Thus, Ecobnb bought the land to protect and grow the forest in the next 20, 50, and 100 years. According to natural and spontaneous methods, nature will take its course, and Ecobnb will ensure that the forest is not cut down for the next centuries.

We want to make sure that, like the Savona forest, other tens of thousands of square meters of forests can grow with their own times and become secular forests, right here in our country. It is a project that goes beyond our lifespan but which is fundamental for sustainability and to fight climate change, as a gift to future generations.

Do you want to support the project?

Do you want to participate in the project to create centuries-old forests in Europe? Buy or give a forest gift card as a gift. Together we will grow beautiful and diverse natural habitats, and we will create centuries-old forests in Europe. In addition to improving biodiversity and air quality, we can thus ensure the survival of wildlife and help combat climate change.

The recipient of the gift card receives the coordinates of the forest he is helping to grow and a certificate with his name on it.

Find out how to do it by following this link!

Who is contributing to this project

A big thank you goes to those who are making this initiative possible.

MAIN CONTRIBUTORS

• Tonkita We Like Green and Arix We Like Green – 10,000 sqm of forest (550 trees) – from September 1, 2021 to August 30, 2022
• Tonkita We Like Green and Arix We Like Green – 10,000 sqm of forest (550 trees) – from September 1, 2022 to August 30, 2023
• Tonkita We Like Green and Arix We Like Green – 20,000 sqm of forest (1,100 trees) – from September 1, 2023 to August 30, 2024
• Tonkita We Like Green and Arix We Like Green – 20,000 sqm of forest (1,100 trees) – from September 1, 2024 to August 30, 2025
• Tonkita We Like Green and Arix We Like Green – 20,000 sqm of forest (1,100 trees) – from September 1, 2025 to August 30, 2026

PRIVATE CONTRIBUTORS