Anna Giordano

Last updated

Anna Giordano (born in 1965 [1] ) is an Italian conservationist. A trained ornithologist with a doctorate in natural sciences, Giordano is today a leader of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Sicily and a respected environmentalist across Europe, [2] and she won the Goldman Prize in 1998. [3] She's known because of her work for the protection of wild birds and against the damages that the bridge over the Strait of Messina would cause in the environment. [4]

Contents

Biography

She joined the Italian League for Bird Protection (LIPU) at the age of six. In 1981, after seeing 17 birds shot out of the sky by poachers shooting from cement bunkers, she committed herself to the fight against poachers. Challenging men in the Sicilian male-dominated society where there was a long tradition of hunting migrating raptors, created open hostility toward Giordano. When she began badgering police, forest rangers and local authorities to do something about the illegal killing, she was not taken seriously. But she persisted and, in 1984, began organizing camps of young people from all throughout the world who would gather each spring to observe the migrations and inform police when they saw poachers at work. [3] [5]

The hunters retaliated with threats and intimidation. In 1986 she narrowly escaped the firebombing of her car, and later poachers broke into her house and mailed her a dead falcon with a threatening note. After this and another incident where she and a group of young people monitoring the migration were shot at, local law enforcement officers began to aid Giordano in her efforts to stop rampant poaching. [3] [5]

She declared that in 1984, during the first camp, they counted about 3,100 raptors and storks, and 1,100 shots — and in 2000, just a little bit less than 35,000 raptors and storks, and 5 shots. [6]

Between 1996 and 2003, Anna Giordano was the Director of the Natural Reserve Saline di Trapani and Paceco, established by the Sicilian Region and managed by WWF. [2]

Nowadays, Giordano leads the WWF team involved with the review of environmental impact assessments for development proposals in the European Union and Italy. Between 2007 and 2008, she was involved with the Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment established by the Italian Ministry for the Environment. [2]

Related Research Articles

Bird of prey Any species of bird that primarily hunt and feed on relatively large vertebrates

Birds of prey, also known as raptors, include species of bird that primarily hunt and feed on vertebrates that are large relative to the hunter. Additionally, they have keen eyesight for detecting food at a distance or during flight, strong feet equipped with talons for grasping or killing prey, and powerful, curved beaks for tearing flesh. The term raptor is derived from the Latin word rapio, meaning to seize or take by force. In addition to hunting live prey, many birds, such as fish eagles, vultures and condors, eat carrion.

Strait of Messina

The Strait of Messina is a narrow strait between the eastern tip of Sicily and the western tip of Calabria in the south of Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north with the Ionian Sea to the south, within the central Mediterranean. At its narrowest point, between Torre Faro and Villa San Giovanni, it is 3.1 km (1.9 mi) wide. At the city of Messina it is 5.1 km (3.2 mi) wide. The strait's maximum depth is about 250 m (820 ft).

Bird migration Seasonal movement of birds

Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by humans, and is driven primarily by availability of food. It occurs mainly in the northern hemisphere, where birds are funneled on to specific routes by natural barriers such as the Mediterranean Sea or the Caribbean Sea.

Environmental impact assessment Assessment of the environmental consequences of a decision before action

Environmental assessment (EA) is the assessment of the environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the term "environmental impact assessment" (EIA) is usually used when applied to actual projects by individuals or companies and the term "strategic environmental assessment" (SEA) applies to policies, plans and programmes most often proposed by organs of state. It is a tool of environmental management forming a part of project approval and decision-making. Environmental assessments may be governed by rules of administrative procedure regarding public participation and documentation of decision making, and may be subject to judicial review.

Sir John Hartley Lawton is a British ecologist, RSPB Vice President, President of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, President of The Institution of Environmental Sciences, Chairman of York Museums Trust and President of the York Ornithological Club.

Lung Kwu Chau

Lung Kwu Chau is an island at the northwest water of Hong Kong. It is off the shore of Lung Kwu Tan near Tuen Mun in the mainland New Territories, separated by waterway of Urmston Road.

The Code for Sustainable Homes was an environmental assessment method for rating and certifying the performance of new homes in United Kingdom. First introduced in 2006, it is a national standard for use in the design and construction of new homes with a view to encouraging continuous improvement in sustainable home building. In 2015 the Government in England withdrew it, consolidating some standards into Building Regulations.

LIPU, the Lega italiana protezione uccelli is an Italian charitable organisation, founded in 1965 and devoted to the protection of the country's wildlife with a particular focus on birds. It has a membership of 42,000 and is the Italian partner of BirdLife International. Moreover, it is one of the most important Italian environmentalist organizations with WWF Italia, Legambiente and Greenpeace Italia.

Kaisha Atakhanova is a biologist from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, specializing in the genetic effects of nuclear radiation. Due to her civil society activism, she was awarded the international Goldman Environmental Prize in 2005 for leading a campaign to prevent nuclear waste from being commercially imported into Kazakhstan.

Poda Protected Area

The nature conservation site Poda was declared a protected area in 1989 by the Bulgarian Ministry of Water and Environment. It was the first protected area in Bulgaria that is completely managed and maintained by a non-governmental organization, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds(BSPB). BSPB prepares and implements activities adopted by the Council of Minister's Management Plan, but receives its funding completely from entrance fees, souvenirs sold, and donations. Through this arrangement, it aims to be a sustainable model for nature conservation, environmental education, and eco-tourism.

Janet Gibson is a biologist and zoologist from Belize. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 1990 for her efforts on conservation of the marine ecosystems along the Belizean coast, in particular the barrier reef system. The Belize Barrier Reef was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1996, through efforts of Gibson and others. She is the current director of the Belize Wildlife Conservation Society.

Environmental issues

Environmental issues are harmful effects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the natural environment on the individual, organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of both the environment and humans. Environmentalism, a social and environmental movement, addresses environmental issues through advocacy, education and activism.

World Wide Fund for Nature International non-governmental organization

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States.

Italy has the highest level of faunal biodiversity in Europe, with over 57,000 species recorded, representing more than a third of all European fauna. This is due to various factors. The Italian peninsula is in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, forming a corridor between central Europe and North Africa, and it has 8,000 km of coastline. Italy also receives species from the Balkans, Eurasia, and the Middle East. Italy's varied geological structure, including the Alps and the Apennines, Central Italian woodlands, and Southern Italian Garigue and Maquis shrubland, also contribute to high climate and habitat diversity.

Małgorzata Górska

Małgorzata Górska is a Polish activist and conservationist, who played an integral role in the movement to protect the Rospuda Valley in north-eastern Poland, one of Europe’s last true wilderness areas. She comes from Trzcianne region in Podlaskie Voivodship in Poland.

Anna Giordano Bruno Italian pole vaulter

Anna Giordano Bruno is a retired Italian track and field athlete who specialised in the pole vault.

Bird trapping

Bird trapping techniques to capture wild birds include a wide range of techniques that have their origins in the hunting of birds for food. While hunting for food does not require birds to be caught alive, some trapping techniques capture birds without harming them and are of use in ornithology research. Wild birds may also be trapped for their display in captivity in zoological gardens or for keeping as a pet. Bird trapping was formerly unregulated, but to protect bird populations most countries have specific laws and regulations.

Wildlife of South Sudan

The wildlife of South Sudan refers to the natural flora and fauna of South Sudan. South Sudan includes the Sudd, one of the world's largest wetlands. According to the American biologist and conservationist, J. Michael Fay, South Sudan "could present the biggest migration of large mammals on earth", while Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reports southeast Sudan has a migration of 1.3 million antelopes. The region has a low density human population, with approximately 7 million people spread over approximately 619,745 km2 (239,285 sq mi).

The Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia is an international, legally non-binding agreement to protect migratory birds of prey.

Mongolian Ornithological Society

The Mongolian Ornithological Society (MOS), was founded in 1999 in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar. It is non-profit environmental organisation dedicated to the research and conservation of birds and their habitats, and also other wildlife in Mongolia. It publishes a peer-reviewed annual scientific journal, Ornis Mongolica, and other bird-related books, guidebooks and papers on bird research works and conservation activities in Mongolia and other countries. The Society raises funds for conservation and educational activities by arranging bird watching and wildlife tours to different parts of Mongolia. The society puts great emphasis on educating young researchers and raising public awareness on conservation. Its board members consist of well-known ornithologists, biologists and ecologists from Mongolia and other countries. In collaboration with the Ornithological Laboratory at the National University of Mongolia, a total of more than 30 scientific theses by bachelors, masters, and Ph.D. students have been supervised by members of the society.

References

  1. ↑ "Giordano, now 35" says this year-2000 article on her Archived 2008-12-11 at the Wayback Machine .
  2. 1 2 3 "Anna Giordano’s activity highlights" Archived 2014-04-24 at the Wayback Machine , The Alcorso Foundation, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 The page on Anna Giordano Archived November 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine in Goldman Prize's web site.
  4. ↑ Article on Anna Giordano in FRONTLINE/World web site.
  5. 1 2 Sancton, Thomas, "Anna Giordano — Making the Skies Safer" Archived 2008-12-11 at the Wayback Machine , Heroes for The Planet gallery in Time.com web site.
  6. ↑ A letter by Anna Giordano, to Brian Horkley, published in the September 2005 issue of Ali, a publication of the British society of LIPU supporters.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.