And at the end of 2023, ERC Rocciaviva in Basilicata, Italy, and the Ecosystem Restoration Communities Foundation teamed up to launch RestorACTION, a pioneering project funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. This inspiring collaboration brought together Rocciaviva’s focus on environmental and social regeneration in the Basilicata region with ERC’s mission to equip local people with the skills and tools needed to restore their own ecosystems. 

RestorACTION aimed to empower the local community in Basilicata, where farmers and landowners face growing challenges from land degradation, extreme weather, and declining soil fertility and livelihoods. The project engaged residents as citizen scientists, increasing their environmental literacy and training them to identify degraded areas and monitor ecosystem health. Using a simple smartphone app, participants collected reliable ecological data to establish baseline studies, enabling informed and effective restoration actions. By bridging the gap between restoration experts and local people, RestorACTION fostered a community-driven approach to reversing ecosystem degradation and securing a sustainable future for the region.