On the eve of International Forest Day, the Prada Group and Forestami present Forestami Academy

Press conference today at Triennale Milano at the presence of Stefano Boeri, President of Forestami, and local institutions

Milan, March 20^th, 2023 – The Prada Group and Forestami - an initiative which aims to plant three million trees by 2030 in the metropolitan city of Milan - today present the Forestami Academy, a three-year training programme for citizens with workshops, seminars and outdoor activities focused on urban forestry.

Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and an advocate of the project, said: “Urban reforestation is at the center of international debate and is particularly relevant for Milan, a city that wants and has to offer more and more greenery. In addition to supporting the Forestami project as a whole, the Prada Group has decided to launch the Forestami Academy, a series of workshops dedicated to all citizens offering educational opportunities on these topics. As a Group, we have always valued education and promoting culture and we are sure that the deep knowledge of the Italian and international speakers will be a great source of inspiration for attending audiences”.

The training programme, both practical and theoretical, was created to promote and encourage urban forestry principles, values and scientific ideas. Coordinated by Maria Chiara Pastore, researcher at the Politecnico University in Milan, the Forestami Academy will involve some of the leading national and international experts in greenery and forestry.
The project is available to all citizens; to attend the 2023 edition, registration will be available from March 21^st at www.forestami.org through a dedicated page link.

Forestami Academy includes two initial classroom meetings at Triennale Milano - a learning module with experts, thematic working tables - and outdoor lessons dedicated to field experimentation, where knowledge can be translated into practice.

By the end of the training programme, participants will have acquired soft skills on urban forestry, understand the most suitable spaces for a “green transformation” and which types of trees, shrubs and plants are best suited for our cities, as well as the appreciate the benefits of urban forestry on both physical and mental health.

The training course is structured over three years, each with a main theme. In 2023, the focus will be on “Knowing Forests and where they grow”, with Professor Cecil Konijnendijk from the University of British Columbia, Professor Simone Borelli from FAO - the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - and interventions from Delft University of Technology, the largest and oldest technical university in the Netherlands. The outdoor event will be led by Giorgio Vacchiano, associate professor of the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the Università Statale of Milan.

In 2024, the central theme will be “Urban forestry: well-being and health”, and in 2025, “Plants and their presence in cities”.

Each appointment will last about 3 hours, and classes will consist of up to 100 participants who can enroll for the entire duration of the Academy over three years or choose to take part in just one of them.

Maria Chiara Pastore

Maria Chiara Pastore - Scientific Director of Forestami - is a professor and researcher at Politecnico di Milano. She holds a PhD in Spatial Planning and Urban Development from the Politecnico di Milano.

Prada Group

The Prada Group is socially engaged to contribute to the sustainable development of the communities and stimulate the cultural debate in all its forms of expression. The Group partners with recognized players and international entities to develop educational and training programs, value talent, support scientific research, foster women’s empowerment, and promote local culture and artistic heritage. The Prada Group operates in the luxury sector through the Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s, Car Shoe, Marchesi 1824 and Luna Rossa brands.

Forestami

Forestami is a project based on research by the Milan Polytechnic, carried out thanks to the support of Fondazione Falck and FS Sistemi Urbani, and promoted by the Municipality of Milan, Metropolitan City of Milan, Lombardy Region-ERSAF, North Milan Park, South Milan Agricultural Park and Milan City, Southwest, Southeast and Adda Martesana Onlus Community Foundation, North Milan Community Foundation, Ticino Olona Community Foundation, University of Milan and the University of Milan Bicocca.

Forestami aims to improve the quality of life, clean the air and counter the effects of climate change. Collaboration among all the promoting parties has made it possible to build a strategic vision of the role of nature in the Milanese metropolitan area and to initiate a process of census, enhancement and increase of greenery, permeable and tree-lined systems to foster urban forestation policies and projects.