My way, back and ahead

Last update: late November, 2011 

My way to forestry was a matter of coincidence.

In fact, I wanted to study law and become a criminal lawyer. In summer 1973, my parents first met in one of the most wonderful locations of the Dolomites, San Martino di Castrozza.

Twenty two years later I spent some days in the same place, hiking and climbing, and there I decided to undertake the forestry studies.

The years of University
I studied hard, one of the best students of the course. Thanks to my good friend Giorgio Andrian and to my curiosity towards the international environment, I got soon involved in students’ organizations. Between 1997 and 1999 I was very active in local and international students’ organizations (AUSF Padova, IFSA and IMISO).
I spent part of my studies in US and Germany and had my first professional experience with CIFOR in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
After almost one year spent on Forest Certification, I radically changed the topic of my final dissertation. Supervised by one of the most important Italian botanists, I conducted a research on the use of Prosopis species in arid lands.

See also: Pack Forest – Center for Sustainable Forestry

The FAO adventure
One week after my graduation, a new chapter of my life opened and I started my collaboration with FAO. I left soon my subject, attracted by the creative and promising virtual reality. I learned quickly all I could by myself, and got an assignment as web developer in a big web application project, which absorbed all my time and energy for almost two years. In July 2003 I got a one-year assigment in the Forestry Department, where I have been working in the field of international forest policies.

Back to my hometown
Forestry is not a subject, it is a universe. Broad enough to satisfy my obsessive hunger for new sources of creative inspiration. The experience at the international level was not as satisfactory as expected, and I understood not only that I wanted to go back to my way to forestry, but also that it was worth trying to do it in my home Country.
This is how, in July 2004, I left FAO and moved back to my hometown, with the aim of finding a job in the forestry field in Italy.

Still out of the forest
In fact, what happened after dind’t really bring me back to forestry. Since  November 2004 I have been working as consultant for public and private institutions mainly in the fields of projects set-up, roll-out and management at the national and international levels.
Along the last 4 years I have been specilizing in renawable energies, but still living and operating far away from forests and mountains.

Evolution
Turning 36 I have decided to help life in directing the events along the right way. I have sketched out a 3 to 4 years plan, made of small, but rather solid steps:

• First: move closer the the mountains, setting up a life closer to my inner self.
• Second: refresh and upgrade my knowledge in forestry and mountain agricultural practices.
• Third: set up a small natural farm in the mountains, possibly outside of the standard commercial cycle.

Nobody knows what life really has in the basket for us, but I have learned through direct experience that we can very much influence the events with strong will and sincere commitment.

I took this direction at the beginning of 2011. In April 2011 I started to get oriented towards the first step. By the end of July I took the final decision, and actually made the first “official” step about one month later. The move has been already done, and I am getting prepared to move to the mountains by the end of the year.

Looking at the horizon from the top of a hill, I am grateful to life for all the past 36 years, and very confident in the future.
Could you imagine a better start? :-)