Workshop I: Sunday 20 September 2026 15:00 – 17:00 

Exploring human-wildlife coexistence approaches along environmental gradients from peri-urban to wilderness.

Location:
Centro Natura del Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise
Via Colli dell’Oro, 2
67032 Pescasseroli (AQ)

The conservation and recovery of large carnivores require structured discussions and debates about different approaches that range from hands-off non-intervention to hands-on intensive management of both habitats and species. This workshop will explore the extent to which differences in these approaches are actually contextual, rather than fundamental. We will establish a framework based on a gradient of human land-use intensity, from peri-urban, via agricultural and forestry settings, to wilder and wilderness settings. Along this gradient we will explore both the broader human-nature interaction as well as the specific case of human-bear interactions, identifying the range of possible and appropriate approaches in each context. The discussion will help find ways for different approaches to coexist with each other. The workshop is open to anyone with an interest in practical approaches to coexistence with bears, and is jointly organised by Rewilding Europe and the EU-funded CoCreating Coexistence (CoCo) project.

Workshop I Online Registration Link

Workshop II: Sunday 20 September 2026 15:00 – 17:00

A Conversation About Bear, From the Alps to the Apennines, Between Words and Colors; One species, two contexts, a single awareness

Location:
Cinema Ettore Scola
Via Roma, 2
67032 Pescasseroli (AQ)

The workshop will be done in Italian. No registration needed.

Comparing experiences with bears in different environments, told through creative storytelling. Words and images can be a useful tool for conveying objective scientific knowledge, while also appealing to empathy, increasing identification. By leveraging a symbolic presence, we can set in motion a process of behavioral changes that will facilitate coexistence with wildlife, based on a more conscious approach and a new social awareness. In a friendly conversation, 2 experts and bear enthusiasts will share their experiences in the Apennine and Alpine contexts, respectively: Dr Elisabetta Tosoni (a zoologist and science communicator with a passion for storytelling) and Dr Massimo Vettorazzi (environmental engineer with a passion for bears and drawing).

Elisabetta Tosoni: Over the past 25 years, she has consolidated her interest in the biology, ecology, conservation and management of large carnivores, collaboration with universities and park authorities. She has deepened her knowledge in nature-based education, storytelling, theater and photography.

Massimo Vettorazzi: An engineer by profession, but a wildlife expert by vocation, he has always cultivated a deep passion for nature and wildlife. Through his experiences, he has developed a desire to capture the beauty of the mountains where he lives, initially through photography and later through drawing and illustration.

Organised by the Italian Alpine Club – Large Carnivores Group. For questions please email: Italian Large Carnivores Group       

Workshop III: Wednesday 23 September 2026 09:00 – 11:00

Evolving human-bear coexistence: Why and how participatory approaches succeed

Location:
Centro Natura del Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise
Via Colli dell’Oro, 2
67032 Pescasseroli (AQ)

Co-conveners: Paula Mayer, Bérénice Guinel, Nicolas Salliou, Ana Stritih, Jenny Anne Glikman

Human-bear coexistence is a pressing challenge for global conservation and requires social-ecological systems to transform. In this workshop, we want to explore how participatory research approaches are engaging with local communities to better understand and foster coexistence. Participants will learn about and share methods and experiences from their own contexts. We will particularly focus on the transformative potential of these approaches, including their spatial and temporal impacts, scalability, and long-term effectiveness.

In this interactive workshop,  we will explore the ecological, social, and institutional factors that enable or hinder coexistence and discuss strategies applicable across diverse contexts. Participants are invited to share case studies from their own research or practice on participatory coexistence approaches. A final objective of the workshop is to initiate a peer-reviewed synthesis paper on participatory approaches to human-bear coexistence, with opportunities for contributions from interested participants.

The workshop will also showcase work by the convening team on participatory tools, including spatial coexistence models, Bear-Smart Community approaches, and game-based methods. We will introduce the Biodiversa+ project CoexHuB, which creates “hubs” for human-bear coexistence through inter- and transdisciplinary networks in the Central Apennines, Cantabrian Mountains, and Slovenia, using social, ecological and institutional research approaches.

For registration, please fill out this registration form. 

For more information, please contact: Paula Mayer

Workshop IV: Wednesday 23 September 2026 11:30 – 13:30

Connect Within, Communicate Beyond: A Psychological Path to Nature. How psychology and communication can shape our relationship with nature

Location:
Centro Natura del Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise
Via Colli dell’Oro, 2
67032 Pescasseroli (AQ)

This workshop, organized by Salviamo l’Orso, explores one of the most complex aspects of wildlife conservation: the emotional dimension of human coexistence with large carnivores. Practical measures to reduce conflicts are essential, but they are not enough to build long-term coexistence. A deeper cultural and emotional shift is needed, where living alongside wildlife becomes not only possible but accepted and understood.

Designed for conservation practitioners, field operators, communicators, and anyone working with communities in wildlife-rich areas, the workshop focuses on how emotions shape attitudes toward bears and other species. Fear, frustration, anger, wonder, and empathy strongly influence reactions to wildlife encounters. Recognizing and addressing these emotions is a key skill for anyone involved in conservation.

Led by a Salviamo l’Orso field officer, environmental journalist and Communication Manager Valeria Barbi, and psychologist Ilaria Benedetti, the workshop blends theory, field experience, and practical exercises. Participants will learn how psychology supports conservation, how to identify emotional responses in conflict situations, and how to adapt communication strategies accordingly.

Through interactive activities and role-playing, the workshop strengthens participants’ ability to foster dialogue and acceptance within communities, promoting an approach that goes beyond wildlife management and focuses on understanding and guiding human behavior in areas with strong wildlife presence.

Participation is free but please register below.

Workshop IV Online Registration Link

For Additional Information Please Email Salviamo l’Orso 

Workshop V: Wednesday 23 September 2026 15:00 – 17:00

Co-creating emerging technologies for bear conservation and management

Location:
Centro Natura del Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise
Via Colli dell’Oro, 2
67032 Pescasseroli (AQ)

Organizers: CALLISTO-Wildlife and Nature Conservation Society (Dr. Tasos Hovardas, Dr. Dimitris Bormpoudakis, Alexandros Poulakis)

This workshop aims to valorise experience gained through participatory processes in the frame of LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors and ongoing work within the Horizon Europe project titled Co-creating Coexistence, which analyses the best ways emergent technologies can promote human-bear coexistence.

The workshop will run in two cycles. In the first, we will present results of scientific and grey literature review on emergent technologies, as well as results of a European-wide survey of more than 1000 pastoralists concentrated on knowledge of and use of technology as well as perceived importance of determinants of technology use. In the second cycle, we will use participatory methods to gather and elaborate on workshop participants’ assessment of emerging coexistence technologies (based on e.g., functionality; scale; technology readiness level) and related utility factors (e.g., perceived and actual effectiveness; affordability; interoperability; socio-cultural acceptance). Participants will receive a report with presentations and assessments. The overall ambition of the workshop is to showcase how technology can be utilized by communities and pastoralists for fostering coexistence.

Participants: IBA conference participants; LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors project partners

Duration: Approximately 2h with a 15min break.

Workshop V Online Registration Link