Franco Zunino

Biographical Information
"Italian conservationist, former Ranger in the Gran Paradiso National Park, former staff member of the Abruzzo National Park, biologist of the Abruzzo Brown Bear, member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission - Bear Specialist Group. Associate Editor of the "International Journal of Wilderness" published by the WILD Foundation (US) and on the International Board of Senior Advisers of the Listening Point Foundation (US) which promotes Sigurd F Olson's philosophy and builds upon his legacy in the field of wilderness education. Prolific writer, photographer and eminent commentator on wilderness philosophy: man as an harmonic, inseparable part of the natural world, and the need to preserve it not only for scientific or economic purposes, but for a spiritual need too. Pioneer of the Italian wilderness movement. Co-founder and General Secretary of Associazione Italiana Wilderness, has pioneered working relationships with municipalities and regional governments that led to proclamations of 58 new wilderness areas throughout Italy. AIW adopted two key words as a concept in dealing with the public: the first was self-resolution where local people, not higher authority, took responsibility for the preservation of their own "environmental treasure" - the second is rational use of renewable resources where rational hunting, rational woodcutting, and rational pasturage are proposed and accepted for wilderness areas. AIW is working on rational recreation use inspired by the principle of carrying capacity. Thus they have enjoyed the cooperation of the resource users without which it is almost impossible to obtain local acceptance for environmental preservation in Italy. He was proclaimed on of the Wilderness Pioneers at Wild9. He joined the Board in 1985."


 * Trustee, Foundation for GAIA