Kick-off meeting

The first event organised in the framework of the project has been the Kick – off meeting which took place from 21st to 23rd of February in Cervia

The meeting was more than the opening meeting of the project. It also dealt with the following issues:

- presentation of the project INFIORE and introduction of the partners and their projects
- technical and financial aspects of the project
- visit to the green areas that will participate in the event “Adriatic in Bloom”
- training
- visit to the green areas of Cervia and its surroundings
- congress “Quality green areas as a strategic resource”
- meetings with Public Authorities, managers and technicians of public green areas, as well as with journalists of this sector
- meeting with the citizens of Cervia

We tried to optimise the first meeting of the partners availing ourselves of the presence of some experts participating in the congress to organise a training course

February 21st 2007:

Presentation of the partners and their projects
- technical and financial aspects of the project
- visit to the green areas of Cervia that will be attribute to the partners to set up the event “Adriatic in Bloom”.

February 22nd 2007:

Meeting on the set-ups that partner cities will create in Cervia for “Adriatic in Bloom”. Then the partners attended the inauguration of the Playground in Cervia, with the participation of the Municipal authorities of Cervia and the citizens.
Near the children’s playground there is a special area for dogs and a monumental tree, three interesting aspects of urban green areas we thought our guests could find interesting.

Part of the afternoon was devoted to a training course dealing with the following themes:
«Modern techniques for the evaluation of plant stability” by Prof. Giacomo Lorenzini of the Inter-department Agro-Environmental Research Centre «Enrico Avanzi» - University of Pisa and “The School Garden – children-oriented green areas”, by Doc. Paolo Vernieri of the Inter-department Agro-Environmental Research Centre «Enrico Avanzi» - University of Pisa . “Playgrounds today: new concepts for playgrounds” by Fabio Casadei – playground designer of the Company TLF – Tecno Legno Fantoni
“Land irrigation” by Arch. Sonia Pecchioli of the Company DEL TAGLIA
Afterwards the participants visited the green areas of Cervia and its surroundings.

February 23rd 2007:

Opening congress “Quality Green Areas as Strategic Resource”, which focussed on the development of urban green areas and their infrastructures as means of growth and qualification of the city.
The congress was attended by the partners and the Authorities and Technical Managers of public green areas of the Cities in Flower along the Adriatic coast and the Region Emilia Romagna, as well as by journalists of the sector.
The Congress opened with a speech by the Mayor of Cervia Roberto Zoffoli, who stressed that the initiatives of the project are “an opportunity to reach a higher level of awareness in the field of protection, promotion and culture of urban green areas, as well as an opportunity to turn urban green areas into a fundamental component of a sustainable tourist offer”.

After the opening speeches by the President of the Provincial Authority Francesco Giangrandi and the Counsellor for green areas of the Municipality of Cervia, the Congress continued with the presentations by Professor Giacomo Lorenzini and Doctor Paolo Verzieri of the Inter-department Agro-Environmental Research Centre «Enrico Avanzi» - University of Pisa on Green areas: expense or resource?; Miro Mati of Piante Mati in Pistoia on Planting Trees, Doctor Alberto Giangolini of Landesign from Pesaro on Landscape Architecture as foundation for urban planning; Andrea Psenner of the flower and plant nursery Psenner in Bozen on Quality Annual Plants; Doctor Laura Schiff of the Regional Council of Tourism of the region Emilia Romagna on Urban green areas as tourist development resource. The congress was chaired by Doctor Gianpaolo Barbariol, president of the Italian Association of Technical Managers of Public Gardens.

Participants received an attendance certificate.
During the day the participants visited the green areas of Cervia destined to the partners for their green set-ups for the event « Adriatic in bloom ».