Nestled between Lake Garda and the Brenta Dolomites, the territory of the Ledrensi Alps and Judicaria was recognised as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2015 as part of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, due to the extraordinary biodiversity, incredible historical and cultural wealth that characterise this area and the balance between man and nature that has been created over the centuries and persists to this day. (find out more)

The Biosphere Reserve Alpi Ledrensi e Judicaria organizes from 9^th to 14^th May 2022 the first edition of the #proudtoshare week, dedicated to the theme "Outdoor, Experience and Sustainability". During the week, the characteristics that must have the organization and management of outdoor disciplines in nature will be deepened in order to be environmentally compatible, socially and economically positive for local communities. Due to the importance of the topics covered, the #proudtoshare week has obtained the patronage of the Autonomous Province of Trento, the Italian UNESCO Commission and the National Technical Interministerial Committee "Man and the Biosphere".

The #proudtoshare week will be developed in a calendar of in-person and on-line events able to involve and address both the local community and the referents of the national and international MAB UNESCO network, addressing four main themes:

1. The impact of climate change on outdoor activities in nature: adaptation and mitigation strategies

Tourism related to the practice of outdoor sports (trekking, biking, skiing, climbing, kayaking, ...) represents for many Biosphere Reserves an important component of the socio-economic development of their communities. This economic sector is particularly sensitive to the increasingly impacts of climate change, both in terms of the state of conservation of natural environments and in terms of the safety as a result of most extreme events. For this reason, the #proudtoshare week wants to liven up a debate on the need to make outdoor activities resilient to climate change, comparing projects and initiatives of Biosphere Reserves aimed at reprogramming, or reconverting, outdoor tourism activities and reducing also their impact in terms of climate-changing emissions.

2. Accessibility and inclusiveness: experiencing nature for all

Ensuring access to nature is an integral part of the 11 Sustainable Development Goal, and Biosphere Reserves must be committed to implementing it in their territories. The #proudtoshare week intends to highlight how concretely pursuing the inclusiveness of outdoor tourism experiences can represent, in addition to the be a right, an important opportunity for sustainable socio-economic development. During the week, it will be demonstrated how investments are socially and economically profitable, making a territory attractive in terms of accessibility and use of the most valuable natural areas. Biosphere Reserve projects will present how "being inclusive" requires not just the design of specific actions and technical skills, but it is a cultural process able to involve the entire community. The aim is to spread the idea to local stakeholders to go beyond the concept of "regulatory compliance", thus concretely breaking down all barriers and becoming truly all-round welcoming.

3. Outdoor disciplines: tools of discovering the material and non-material culture of the area

Outdoor sports disciplines (trekking, biking, skiing, climbing, kayaking, ....) are a powerful and effective tool to discover natural, historical and cultural values of an area. Outdoor sports must go beyond the purely performance-based approach (higher, faster, longer), becoming the best way of living an immersive and holistic experience. The #proudtoshare week intends to understand how to foster the cultural evolution of outdoor disciplines’ mission. During the week will be shared projects and initiatives of Biosphere Reserves aimed at connecting outdoor activities with the discovery of tastes and flavours, the visit of archaeological sites, architectural heritage and spiritual places, the knowledge of the intangible cultural tradition of local communities. The aim is therefore to practice sport in nature, while acquiring knowledge of the area and the communities living there.

4. Tourist carrying capacity: managing the needs of use of the area, guaranteeing the conservation of habitats

Biosphere Reserves are laboratories of sustainable development where new models of responsible use of resources by local communities, promoting the social and economic growth while fully respecting the conservation of the environment in which they live, can be teste. Applying this principle to tourism and in particular to tourism based on outdoor sports (trekking, biking, skiing, climbing, kayaking, ....), the #proudtoshare week intends to stimulate a debate on the capacity of a territory to "sustain" tourism development, without compromising the natural ecosystems and the quality of life of the resident community. Under this theme we will try to understand how Biosphere Reserves around the world have supported studies and projects to quantify the tourism carrying capacity, to seek a balance between different land use needs and to manage the visitor flows in order to reduce environmental impacts.