Summer School: LIFE19 NAT/IT/000883 INSUBRICUS   

Dates of the summer school: 18 September - 24 September 2025 (18 and 24 September are travel days)

Location: «Centro Parco Cascina Monte Diviso» - Gallarate (Varese) - Italy 

Description of the summer school:

The LIFE19 NAT/IT/000883 Project – “Urgent actions for the long-term conservation of Pelobates fuscus insubricus in the distribution area”, , aims to improve the conservation status of P. fuscus insubricus, an endemic toad, in 14 Natura 2000 Sites, halting the decline of the population and ensuring its conservation above the threshold level. 

Such actions essentially consist of: 

• an increase in existing and known adult populations;

• an increase in breeding sites, with 18 new sites and the restoration of 31 existing ones;

• the recovery of locally extinct populations, following the elimination of the causes of extinction;

• an increase in the genetic variability of individual populations, reducing inbreeding caused by genetic drift and bottlenecks;

• improvement of connectivity between subpopulations through the restoration and creation of new wetlands with suitable characteristics for the species;

• definition and sharing of guidelines and a national strategy for the conservation of the species;

• raising awareness among the general public and stakeholders in order to improve the protection of Pelobates fuscus insubricus and wetlands. 

The summer school is organized with the support of LIFE Programme.

LIFE Programme is the European Union's financial instrument dedicated to the environment and climate action. Since 1992, it has co-financed and continues to support thousands of nature conservation projects, particularly in the areas of biodiversity, habitats and species, across the EU Member States. The Life Insubricus project is among those funded under the LIFE “Nature and Biodiversity” sub-programme for the period 2014-2020.

Through a blend of sessions, study visits, and reflective discussions, the project fosters a deep understanding of the importance and conservation of minor wetlands, encompassing everything related to these habitats while considering the broadest possible spectrum — including their ecosystem functions, ecological characteristics, the plant and animal communities that inhabit them, the threats they face, their conservation status, and the initiatives that can be undertaken to preserve them. Key themes include the environmental education, the impact of the human on these green areas and how we can work in order to reduce this impact. 

Participants will explore successful strategies through case studies and study visits on the field. 

Why Join?

1. Gain valuable insights into importance and conservation of minor wetlands; 

2. Build leadership and teamwork skills;

3. Experience cultural exchange and make new international friends;

4. Leave with a toolkit of practical solutions that can be undertaken to preserve the ecosystem functions. 

Profile of the candidates:

• Youth strongly interested in the topic of nature and preservation of species in risk of extinction; 

• Priority to current students as well as recent graduates and PhD candidates working in the fields of natural sciences and/or biology; 

• The age of the participants should be over 18 years old. 

Key information about participation:

Summer school will cover participants’ educational sessions, study visits, materials, 3 full meals and accommodation in multiple rooms with gender based division. 

Traveling to summer school and back home:

Very important remark: travel is NOT covered by the project so the participants of the project will have to manage travel expenses by themselves.

Our location is very close to Milano Malpensa Airport, so we can organize a pick up service from Malpensa Airport to Cascina Monte Diviso by our staff. 

Participating country:

Possibility to apply for the participation in the summer school is open to the residents of all countries inside European Union. 

How to apply:

Project doesn’t have fixed deadline for applications: places are assigned based on the candidate’s motivation and formal eligibility. The earlier you apply, the sooner you may be selected, until all spots are filled.

Due to the high number of applications, only selected candidates will be contacted initially (usually within a week of the call's publication). Candidates on the waiting list will be contacted later, and finally, a message will be sent to those who were not selected.

The infopack contains sensitive data and is not made public; for this reason, it is sent only to selected candidates.

Fill out the application form at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbMaixmSYwS1l3GRCQ6Bma2mxMbIYq9KTVeayKidMomiHduA/viewform?usp=dialog