Restoration in action: Lucciole in Caffarella

On 14 June 2024, the Roma Tre research unit organized a twilight tour of the Parco Regionale dell’Appia Antica, in collaboration with the Centro Servizi Appia Antica. The tour, led by biologist Simone Ceccobelli, offered participants the opportunity to learn first-hand about the flora and fauna of the Caffarella park. Highlights included discovering bands of fireflies, examining the rich diversity of amphibian life in pools at the heart of the park, and learning about how the park is the fruit of decades of restoration on land that was previously polluted and largely abandoned. It offered an inspiring example not just of biodiversity restoration, but of the value of urban nature for both communities and ecosystems.