Book presentation. Toxic Herbarium

On Saturday, December 2nd at 4 p.m., the Wreckage Room of the Livorno Aquarium will host the presentation of “Toxic Herbarium”, the first book in a trilogy about plants titled “Flower Power”, published by Sillabe Editore (always committed to publishing projects related to the Livorno Aquarium), conceived and designed within the Environmental Education Project of the Didactic Department of the Livorno Aquarium and by Oblo creature. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the guide will be donated to the Firefighters – Capraia Isola section, which has welcomed the initiative that enhances the island and its beauties, thanks to the collaboration with Pro Loco Capraia Isola, for the purchase of rescue equipment.

It is a fun guide with illustrations and stickers to learn about the plants of the island of Capraia and their characteristics. The poetic texts are by Viola Barbara (Uovo alla Pop), the illustrations are by Giulia Bernini (Oblo Creature).

The “Toxic Herbarium” is generated by the artistic residence of Giulia Bernini on the island for the project “Digital Nomads – New Forms of Life Oasis” by Uovo alla Pop, financed by the European Union – NextGeneration. Through the stories and knowledge of the inhabitants of the island of Capraia, through workshops and artistic residences of the project, the book offers reflections on the poisonous attitudes of human beings towards the planet and themselves.

The “Toxic Herbarium” is a manual to learn about the plants of the Mediterranean scrub present on the beautiful island of Capraia. The publication in an ironic and educational key offers a useful contribution to start exploring the plant world around us, with its relative toxicity, compared every time to human toxicity that arises from ignorance and selfishness, often towards others. Spontaneous herbs and small plants of the Mediterranean scrub, perhaps not so well known, can be an effective remedy against various types of toxicity, from egocentrism to body shaming. Through these herbaria, art comes to the aid of science, making it likable, captivating, and apparently less didactic, as well as becoming a valid visual warning to inspire the reader’s desire for ecological and social change in everyday life.

As Roberta Bonomo and Susanna Casini told us, creators and curators of the “Botanical Path of the Island of Capraia,” this initiative was born as an “Action” within the framework of CETS, the European Certification of Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas, and then realized with financing from PNAT. This new proposal is proving not only a place to learn about the island’s flora but also a source of inspiration for experiential educational activities and edutainment. The artistic project “Flower Power” enhances the plants of Capraia and, above all, interprets fundamental reflections and proposals to give meaning to our daily lives and our ecological vision of the world.

The participation of the Livorno Aquarium in the project confirms the commitment that the Livorno Aquarium and Costa Edutainment, the company that manages the facility, have always directed towards the sensitization and education of the general public to the knowledge and respect of the environment, particularly the marine environment, and the protection of biodiversity through dissemination paths and initiatives.

Among the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago Natural Park, Capraia is the furthest from the mainland and has preserved the most rugged and uncontaminated natural environment. A natural heritage to be safeguarded and respected. The volume is the culmination of a project financed by the Tuscan Archipelago Natural Park itself, thanks to which dozens of typical botanical species of the Mediterranean scrub and coastal garigue were cataloged – each with their scientific name and characteristics.

Speakers:
Giovanni Raimondi – Scientific Coordinator of the Livorno Aquarium – will emphasize the importance for the Livorno Aquarium and the Group to participate in projects of this kind in line with the company’s mission, which aims to raise awareness about the protection of the environment and biodiversity and promote sustainable behaviors and good practices through the consolidation of relationships and collaborations with scientific institutions, research centers, and universities with which the Livorno Aquarium constantly works. He will also discuss the seagrass reforestation project, in which the aquarium participates by hosting a network of biodegradable bioplastic in a tank and studying its behavior in order to use it in nature: a project aimed at protecting and safeguarding a marine plant that represents one of the most precious and important resources of our seas, capable of releasing oxygen and compensating for CO2 emissions even more than trees can do.

Giulia Perni – Editorial Manager and Press Office of Sillabe Editrice Srl – will illustrate how with the release of this first text of the “Flower Power” trilogy, Sillabe confirms its editorial collaboration with the Didactic Department of the Livorno Aquarium for publishing projects related to the respect for nature and the environment that surrounds us, always ready to bring young people closer to sustainability issues and terrestrial conservation through the reading of educational texts like this, with a strong visual impact.

Giulia Bernini – Oblo Creature – and Lara Gallo – actress and collaborator of Uovo alla Pop – will introduce and interpret some of the “toxic” plants. Lara will entertain the audience with the reading of some poems related to Posidonia and other plants treated in the book “Toxic Herbarium”.