Yesterday, the Commander of the Forestry, Environmental and Agri-food Units, Army Corps General Andrea Rispoli, arrived at Reggio Calabria airport to visit the forestry carabinieri departments operating in the Aspromonte massif. He was welcomed by the Commander of the “Calabria” Forestry Region, Colonel Giovanni Misceo, assisted by his collaborators, Lieutenant Colonel Pietro Felice Marchetta, commander of the Aspromonte National Park Carabinieri Department, and Lieutenant Colonel Rocco Lupini, commander of the Environmental Police Investigation Unit Agri-food and Forestry.
Accompanied by his officers, the General went to Gambarie, where the forestry carabinieri employed in Operation “Adorno” are stationed, a widespread anti-poaching activity carried out by the Army soldiers in the spring period, when the Strait of Sicily, a fundamental migratory route for birds that transit from Africa to Europe, it is crossed by the honey buzzard, known locally as Adorno. For over thirty years, in fact, the Forestry Carabinieri have been taking to the field to help protect the free flight of birds, ensuring their landing in places where the miraculous reproductive cycle can be repeated, thus guaranteeing the conservation of the species.
The forestry carabinieri contingent welcomed its summit with a practical demonstration of how territory control is carried out. In fact, giving great proof of efficiency in the prevention of illegal conduct to the detriment of wild avifauna, the military has combined the most recent technologies with traditional methods of action, so that the data provided by the Army’s drones coordinates patrols and dog units used in patrols.
Also in Gambarie, the General met the soldiers of the Aspromonte Park Unit, a department on the front line in the defense of the biodiversity that distinguishes our mountains. The constant presence of the forestry Carabinieri, their careful campaign of awareness and education on environmental legality, as well as the recognized ability to team up with civil society and with all those who in various capacities deal with safeguarding the flora and fauna of Reggio, have provided a valuable contribution to the defense of the beauty of our land.
At the end of the visit, the senior officer of the force thanked the military, civilian staff and volunteers for their commitment, who carry out their institutional duties excellently on a daily basis. The General, in particular, highlighted the important role that the Forestry Corps, in all its components, plays in the Calabrian territory in protecting the environment and agri-food quality, in territorial control and in environmental education.
The stay of Army Corps General Andrea Rispoli in Reggio Calabria will end today, with two further stages. In the morning, he is in fact expected in Taurianova where, as part of the initiatives promoted within the prestigious setting of Taurianova Capital of the Book 2024, the Municipal Administration has invited him to present his own book “Il Reflexo degli Eroi”, very valuable a work that tells of the life and example of various illustrious Italians who, risking their own safety, sacrificed their lives to protect the lives of others, defend a mission or achieve a higher objective. The Vice President of the Regional Council, Dr. Giuseppina Princi, and the Prosecutor of Palmi, Dr. Emanuele Crescenti, will also take part in the event, sponsored by the Cultural Associations Parallelo 38 and Risveglioideale.
Finally, the General will travel to Cittanova, where one of the three CC Forestry Units that guard the Gioia Tauro plain is stationed. These departments, heirs of the CC Forestry Stations, are highly specialized in the field of environmental, land and water protection, as well as in the field of safety and controls in the agri-food sector, in support or with the support of the territorial organization .
In this last stage, a moment of valorization of the territory was also foreseen, with the visit of the municipal villa of Cittanova, a national monument of unspeakable beauty, and of the natural science museum of that municipality, which contains the largest ornithological exhibition of the area.
