Our commitment to Italian Nature
There’s a lot of work to be done
Our planet’s biodiversity has been rapidly declining for decades. While we often think this is mostly in areas like Rainforests and Coral reefs, some of the most damaged areas are close to home - in Europe. Certain species that are at the top of the food chain are an essential part of a healthy and wild environment. One such species, the Marsican brown bear in Italy is close to extinction. We care deeply about Italy and believe it has long been the time to fight back and protect the habitats that continue to give us so much.
Click here to learn more about the Ugo Family's journey through the Italian wilderness...
Proud partners for wild Italy
We, at Dell’ Ugo, are really proud to be partnering with the visionary conservationists at The European Nature Trust and Salviamo l’Orso (Let’s Save the Bear), in joining their mission to save the Marsican brown bear – the world’s most endangered bear.
Protecting our natural heritage
There are only 60 Marsican brown bears left in Italy. They are officially classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “Critically Endangered”. The Marsican brown bear’s survival is pivotal for the long-term viability of the Apennine Mountains’ ecosystems. While originally inhabiting lowland areas as well, pressure from humans over the past 2 centuries has led to their confinement to higher mountainous regions within the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park.
As a 4th generation, family-run business rooted in Italian heritage, we are tremendously passionate about sustainability practices. We care deeply about Italy, its culture, and its environment, all of which are intrinsically linked to nature. We have worked with Italian businesses and farmers for over 90 years, who rely on healthy, wild nature for their crops to thrive – we feel it is our duty to help protect those who have given us so much.
The Ugo family have a close relationship with The European Nature Trust. Through this connection we have gained an in depth understanding of the importance and the effectiveness that protecting nature can have. We feel it is our time to lend a hand to the amazing work done by passionate conservationists in Italy.
About Salviamo l’Orso
Through our partnership with The European Nature Trust – a grant-making organisation raising funds and awareness for European nature – we’ll be contributing to Salviamo l’Orso. This non-profit, volunteer-led association is working to save the Marsican brown bear from extinction and expand their habitats beyond the current Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. With our support, they will improve the condition of the forest and grassland habitats of the Central Apennines. Being a smaller organisation, any help is extremely impactful, and able to be dynamical and efficiently implemented.
By supporting Salviamo l’Orso, we support vital initiatives such as:
- Increasing the bears habitat by planting native fruit trees. This also promotes pollinator diversity, which leads to the regeneration of even more native plants and trees.
- Creating connected bear habitats between currently protected areas: a network of undisturbed ‘wildlife corridors’ that allow bears to travel across valleys and urban areas.
- Reducing and preventing conflicts between humans and wildlife, as well as educating local people on how to coexist with the bear – dubbed ‘Bear Smart Communities’.
- Preventing the bears from getting injured by removing barbed wire left over from old agricultural sites.
- Distributing bear-proof waste bins.
- Combating the threat of road collisions by installing wildlife warning reflectors on road surfaces.
- A canine vaccination programme to reduce the spread of potentially harmful diseases.
What happens next, we make Noise for Nature
Dell’Ugo and The European Nature Trust are committed to supporting Salviamo l’Orso to help protect, conserve and expand Italy’s bear population, which leads to healthy and wild nature for crops to survive and thrive.
As a first activity, we’ve sponsored ‘Wild Abruzzo 2022’, a fundraising film premiere that will generate awareness and investment into wildlife and bear protection in the Abruzzo region.