OPTIMA supports the organizations of courses dealing with plant taxonomy, biodiversity conservations and management in the Mediterranean.
2011
The Plant Diversity Summer School: Knowledge, Conservation and Management of Plant Biodiversity of Mediterranean Mountain Systems was held from 29th August to 11th September 2011 in Castelbuono, Geraci Siculo, Petralia Soprana (PA) and Ucria (ME), under the lead of Francesco M. Raimondo with the assistance of Gianniantonio Domina and Riccardo Guarino.
It was placed under the auspices of the Department of Environmental Biology and Biodiversity, the Faculty of Sciences and the Course of Doctorate in Plant Biodiversity
and Landscape Ecology of the University of Palermo and the FIP (International Federation of Phytosociology).
It was funded in part by the University Consortium of the Palermo’s Province and also benefited by the support of OPTIMA, the International Foundation pro Herbario Mediterraneo, the Natural Museum Francesco Minà Palumbo and by the hospitality of the municipalities of Castelbuono, Geraci Siculo, Petralia Soprana, Ucria and of the Natural Parks of Madonie and Nebrodi. Thanks to these all supports, accommodation and meals could be offered to the participants, who had to pay only a little registration fee (250€, or 150€ for developing Countries) and their
travel expenses.
The School was a learning experience of excellence for graduates, doctoral students and scholars who wanted to increase their knowledge of theoretical and applied aspects of conservation and management related to plant species and plant communities on the mountains of the Mediterranean Sea. The Summer School provided to the participants an opportunity to meet with leading experts in the field, share daily life, and establish contacts among themselves and with their teachers. 25 participants had been selected from among the applications received. Up to two students per Mediterranean border Country where chosen in the first round, then the remaining places were assigned to further applicants from Mediterranean or other European countries. As a result participants were a mixed lot, coming from 9 different countries: Algeria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Tunisia and Turkey. In addition, PhD students of the Course of Doctorate in Plant Biodiversity and Landscape Ecology of the University of Palermo participated on an ad-hoc basis. Five days were devotes to field activities on the Madonie, Nebrodi and Etna Mountains. Classes were held by international experts, all of them old friends won through OPTIMA, representing different disciplines such as vascular plants, vegetation science and taxonomy. They were: Salvatore Brullo, José A. Carreira, Avinoam Danin, Gianniantonio Domina, Giampietro Giusso del Galdo, Werner Greuter, Riccardo Guarino, Vernon Heywood, Pietro Mazzola, Gerald Parolly, Franco Pedrotti, Sandro Pignatti, Richard Pott, Francesco M. Raimondo, Mohamed Rejdali, Rosario Schicchi, Angelo Troia, and Benito Valdés. At the end of the course, after an exam that all students passed with good results, certificates of attendance were issued and 5 ECTS or 5 Italian CFU were acquired. A
pleasant closing ceremony was held in the Botanical Garden of Palermo, in the presence of Dott. Antonio Ticali director of the University Consortium of the Palermo Province.
2010
The first Plant Diversity Summer School: Knowledge, conservation and management of Plant Biodiversity of Mediterranean Coastal and Insular systems was held at Palazzo Sales in Erice (TP) from 3th to 14th September 2010, under the lead of Francesco M. Raimondo assisted by Gianniantonio Domina. This course was placed under the auspices of the Department of Botany, the Faculty of Sciences and the Course of Doctorate in Vegetal Resources of the University of Palermo. It was funded for a part part by the Provincia Regionale di Trapani, and also benefited by the support of OPTIMA (the Organization for the Phyto-Taxonomic Investigation of the Mediterranean Area) and the International Foundation pro Herbario Mediterraneo, and by the hospitality of the municipality of Erice. Thanks to these all supports, accommodation and meals could be offered for free to the participants, who had to pay no registration fee but only their travel expenses. The School was a learning experience of excellence for graduates, doctoral students and scholars who wanted to increase their knowledge of theoretical and applied aspects of conservation and management related to plant species and plant communities on the islands and coastlands of the Mediterranean Sea. The Summer School provided to the participants an opportunity to meet with leading experts in the field, share daily life, and establish contacts among themselves and with their teachers. Thirty participants had been selected from among the 55 applications received. Up to 2 students per Mediterranean border country where chosen in the first round. and the remaining places were distributed between the further applicants from Mediterranean or other European countries. As a result participants were a mixed lot, coming from 9 different countries: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Spain, Tunisia, and Turkey. In addition, Phd students of the Course of Doctorate in Vegetal Resources of the University of Palermo participated on an ad-hoc basis.
Three days were devotes to field activities in the archaeological areas of Segesta and Selinunte, on the Island of Marettimo, in the Pond of Marsala, and on Mt. Cofano on the Tyrrhenian coast. Classes were held by international experts, all old friends made through OPTIMA, representing different disciplines such as phycology, mycology, vascular plants, vegetation science, and taxonomy: they were: Avinoam Danin, Gianniantonio Domina, Giuseppe Giaccone, Werner Greuter, Riccardo Guarino, Vernon Heywood, Pietro Mazzola, Luigi Naselli Flores, Sandro Pignatti, Angelo Rambelli, Francesco M. Raimondo, Angelo Troia, Benito Valdés, and Giuseppe Venturella. At the end of the course, after an exam that all students passed with good results, certificates of attendance were issued and 5 ECTS or 5 Italian cfu were acquired. A pleasant closing ceremony was held, with the presence of Dott. Giuseppe Poma and Salvatore Daidone, respectively president and member of the Provincial Council of Trapani.