An interactive experience of ecological and environmental education in Italy: BEL SIT Project

BEL SIT is an educational project, coordinated by the CSSAS (Soil Analysis Experimental Centre), whose aim is to update and disseminate information about the natural and cultural assets of an area lying in the Bologna Apennines through the creation of a geodatabase using a specific Geographical Information System (GIS). Survey data regarding important environmental features, such as monumental trees, noteworthy species of plants, characteristic lithological formations, singular geomorphological aspects, mineralogical and paleontological aspects, mineralogical and paleontological rarities, natural springs and animal habitats are furnished alongside data concerning building types, with the aim of highlighting, among other things, the way in which man adapted rural settlements to ecosystem conditions up to the middle of the 20th century. The results of the BEL SIT project are available at the website http://www.geolab-onlus.org/BEL SIT/. The geodatabase, downloaded from the website, will provide users with in-depth insight into the natural and cultural resources of the Bolognese Apennines and enable them to conveniently visit any place of interest using a modern GPS tracking system. BEL SIT is a physical and cultural atlas designed as a tool for disseminating information about the natural and cultural heritage of this area using modern communication system (websites, publications and CD ROMs) which are useful for conveying knowledge at all levels (school, cultural associations, local authorities).