Backpack on and off you go! Little hikers grow up

Who among us, as children, hasn’t dreamed of embarking on an adventure to explore majestic mountains, shadowy forests, and the creatures that call them home? This month’s book recommendation is a perfect choice for both young and adult readers eager to experience thrilling journeys and uncover the wonders of nature.

Accompanied by Elisabetta Tosoni, a zoologist who studies bears, wolves, and chamois, and by the splendid illustrations of Elisabetta Mitrovic, we will set off on a mountain excursion, surrounded by the enchanting beauty of the forest.

We cannot venture into the mountains dressed as city dwellers. Proper preparation is essential: suitable clothing, comfortable hiking boots, and trekking poles for handling ascents and descents. Our backpack should be lightweight yet equipped with a change of clothes and some protein-rich snacks. A water bottle with a minimum of one liter of water, a notebook for jotting down observations, and binoculars for distant viewing are indispensable items for the journey.

Now that we are prepared, we can embark on the trail, searching for tracks left by bears, wolves, deer, other ungulates, rodents, and birds. Our two guides, Elisabetta Tosoni and Elisabetta Mitrovic, will not only share insights about the forest and the mountain but also provide advice on handling close encounters with its wildlife, offering guidance on the proper behaviors to adopt.

We will explore the importance of staying on the path and delve into the strategies animals use to thrive in their environment. This journey will allow us to observe nature closely and discover how every choice we make impacts the ecosystem. In the woods, we are interconnected—not through the 5G network of our smartphones, but through the natural world to which we belong. Through this experience, we will learn that the key principle, both here and in life, is respect.

So, what are we waiting for? Backpack on and off we go!

Credits

Maria Beatrice Lupi is a naturalist and an expert in training, sustainable development planning, participatory methodologies, and European planning. She is currently engaged in dissemination and education for sustainability.

Translated by Maria Antonietta Sessa