The Tevere Lab

Project location: Italy, Rome
Project start date: December 2007 - Project end date: This project covers various years
Project number: 2007-07
Beneficiary: MAREVIVO

 

FINAL REPORT (DECEMBER 2008)

 The grant awarded by the Nando Peretti Foundation to the association Marevivo covered the costs associated with the completion of "The Tevere Laboratory", a floating structure already in place, moored at the Scalo de Pinedo in Rome, connected to the national headquarter of the Association Marevivo.

 The Laboratory's functions are primarily didactic and educational: it is open to the participation of schools, teachers and ordinary citizens and over time it has developed a series of diversified activities able to help the users understand issues such as the protection of biodiversity, the correct use of water resources, or the identification of small everyday "sustainable" acts.

 For these reasons, the NPF grant was used to produce a series of outreach materials as well as to purchase scientific equipment, specifically chosen in order to increase the exposure of the general public and of school-age kids to issues that are sometimes difficult to fully understand.

Within the association, a workgroup was set up, involving experts in environmental issues, and educators who collaborated on a regular basis with Marevivo for the development of the environmental education activities carried out at "The Tevere Laboratory".

 The workgroup met various times in order to elaborate the detailed scientific content needed for the Laboratory presentation folding, the didactic schedules for teachers and students, the river didactic and descriptive panels. The workgroup was also in charge of identifying the types and models of scientific equipment to purchase. A similar approach has been used for the implementation of the photovoltaic plant. In addition, the workgroup has been supported by a special secretary, in charge of administrative co-ordination, organisational support, and of any other activity associated to the financial management of the project.

 1. OUTREACH -DIDACTIC MATERIALS

 The following materials have been produced

1- Laboratory presentation folding

2- didactic schedules for teachers and students

3- descriptive panels of the river

 

The Laboratory Presentation Folding

Technical specifications: open format 15x56 cm, closed format 15x21, (4+4) four-colour print, 8 pages. Coated Paper: Symbol Freelife Saten FSC 150 g; printed in 10,000 copies.

 Didactic schedules for teachers and students

Technical specifications: A4 format, back-to-back, 4+4. Coated Paper: Symbol Freelife Saten FSC 250 g; 4,000 copies printed in total.

Titles:

Schedules no. 1 and 2: The bio-indicators (for students and teachers)

Schedule no. 3-5: What's the weather like? A method to study changing weather (for students)

Schedules no. 6 and 7: Who eats whom, the river food chains (for students and teachers)

Schedule no. 8: Water, a valuable resource!

 Didactic panels

Technical specifications: 4 high-relief panels made of polyester resin colour-painted with a wooden support, size 45x66 cm

Content: ‘Discovering the wonders of the sea', representing the various Mediterranean sea habitats: sandy seabeds, rocky substrates, posidonia and waterline.

 Technical specifications: 2 panels, size 165 x 60, illustrated in colours, printed on di-bound with 8 magnetic silhouettes that may be applied.

Content: title ‘The Tiber's Environment', they represent the Tiber's medium-lower reach, with the animals and the most meaningful plants.

 2. TECHNICAL-SCIENTIFIC SUPPORTS

 The technical supports included in the project and therefore purchased and set up (whenever necessary) between July and November are the following:

1 closed aquarium, purchased in July, is currently being set up. The aquarium shall reproduce a river environment of running freshwater, similar to the one that can be found along the middle-upper reach of the Tiber; the animal or vegetable species that are all autochthonous and non-protected.

1 aquariumland (terrarium), purchased in July, is currently being set up.

The terrarium shall reproduce a section of a swampy subaerial environment, typical of the riparian areas of the Tiber and of other rivers. In this case, too, vegetable and animal species that shall inhabit it are all autochthonous and non-protected.

Currentmetres, audio system with CD player and dolby surround, 3 webcams

The NPF contribution originally allocated for these items has been used for the purchase of additional IT equipment needed by the Laboratory, including a computer with multimedia system, provided with a webcam and a specific software for the management of on-line archives (plant and animal census, mailing list, etc).

2 entomological boxes and other animal models.

The boxes have been manufactured using resin reproductions, instead of real animals, in order to underline the educational value of the collections.

10 silhouettes and drawings of birds and other animals

Silhouettes and drawings were made by a naturalist painter.

Publication of didactic-divulgate material, thematic dvds, etc...

The materials have been ordered and are going to be delivered shortly.


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