TOPIO

17/09/2026

🌍⁀જ✈️ From Seville to Chamusca 🇪🇸 🇵🇹

This spring, Daniel Ramos Travez from Facultad de Geografía e Historia (Universidad de Sevilla) explored new rural landscapes with the project during a secondment at Casal do Gavião do Meio throughout March and April.

Daniel explored how local communities perceive, shape and give meaning to the landscapes around them.

🔎 As part of TOPIO’s Work Package 4, Daniel gathered insights on the social construction of landscape, contributing to the project’s work on Landscape Sensitivity Analysis and the role of the local population in landscape quality for policies.

🤝 A highlight of the stay was taking part in the third participatory session, “Prioridades para a intervenção sobre a Paisagem da Chamusca”, organised by CiTUA (Instituto Superior Técnico) and Casal do Gavião do Meio, with the community of Chouto.

💬 “Α special thank you to Graça from the Charneca Landscape Observatory (Observatório da Paisagem da Charneca), whose warm welcome and invaluable support made the secondment both productive and enjoyable. Also, special congratulations to Guilherme from CiTUA-IST, who is working hard with the Chouto community to drive planning together with the people!”, Daniel reflects.

21/07/2026

📚☀️ The 3rd Summer School, hosted by Sapienza Università di Roma and the Comune di Terelle in Terelle, Frosinone, Italy, concluded last Friday after four days of exploring key concepts and perspectives in landscape assessment through participatory approaches and hands-on learning!

🏞️ Four days of lectures, fieldwork, practical activities and collaboration!

👥 The project team gathered in Terelle, at Monte Cairo, one of TOPIO’s case study areas, where they received a warm welcome from Mayor Fiorella Gazzellone before taking part in topical and specialised lectures on landscape ecology, participatory planning, Earth Observation, digital tools, landscape governance and restoration.

⛰️ The following day was dedicated to fieldwork, with a hands-on visit to Monte Cairo. Participants observed the landscape, discussed local environmental pressures and explored possible restoration actions on site.

🗺️ That afternoon, two parallel workshops were organised with the participation of the local community. The workshops focused on capturing landscape change and identifying public and private land parcels with potential for landscape restoration through a participatory approach.

💬 The week concluded with the TOPIO Steering Committee meeting, where project partners reviewed the progress of the work packages and discussed the next steps of the project.

👉 With three Summer Schools completed, all eyes now turn to the fourth and final edition, taking place in Crete, Greece 🇬🇷, in September 2027.

See you in Crete!

18/07/2026

Third Summer School of in Terelle, Italy concludes with the participatory workshop! 🇮🇹

16/07/2026

15/07/2026

🍹APERISCIENCE! at the Botanical Garden of Rome
The Summer School 2026 has officially begun!

Hosted this year by Sapienza Università di Roma, the journey began in the heart of the city, at the Botanical Garden of Rome, with an evening dedicated to science, discussion and connection.
After a warm welcome from Vito E. Cambria (Sapienza Università di Roma) and Project Coordinator Dimitris Alexakis (Institute for Mediterranean Studies - FORTH), participants explored two key perspectives on ecological restoration:
👥 Ass. Prof. Emilio Padoa-Schioppa (Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca) discussed the role of landscape ecology in restoration processes during the Anthropocene and the growing impact of human activity on our planet.
⚖️ Morgan Eleanor Harris (Università Roma Tre) introduced the work, mission and progress of – the Italian Network for Ecological Restoration, sparking an open discussion among speakers, TOPIO partners and Summer School participants.

And afterwards, what better way to close the day than with a refreshing aperitivo surrounded by the greenery of the Botanical Garden? 🌴

Next stop 👉 Terelle (Frosinone) and Monte Cairo, where the Summer School continues near the field!

06/07/2026

🌿 Join us at APERISCIENCE! 🍹
What happens when landscape ecology, ecological restoration and public participation meet over an aperitivo?
As part of the TOPIO Summer School 2026, APERISCIENCE brings together researchers, students and practitioners for an afternoon of inspiring mini-lectures, discussion and networking focused on the future of Mediterranean landscapes.
Together, we'll explore:
🌱 The role of landscape ecology in ecological restoration
🗺️ Participatory approaches to landscape assessment and restoration
🤝 Public engagement in restoring nature across the Mediterranean
🎓 2 ECTS (CFU) for PhD students
📅 14 July 2026
🕒 15:00–17:30
📍 Botanic Garden of Rome – Sala Arancera
🎟️ Free admission | Registration required
Whether you're interested in landscape ecology, Earth Observation, ecological restoration, citizen science or participatory planning, this is a great opportunity to exchange ideas and connect with the TOPIO community before the Summer School begins.
🔗 Register via the QR code on the poster.

01/07/2026

The Third TOPIO Summer School, Specialized Lecture & Workshop is almost here! ⌛ 🏞️
This year’s edition will take place in the heart of Italy, co-organized by Sapienza Università di Roma and the Comune di Terelle (Frosinone), bringing together researchers, practitioners and local communities to explore interdisciplinary and participatory approaches for evidence-based landscape restoration.

📍 Locations: Botanic Garden of Rome & Municipality of Terelle (Monte Cairo, Province of Frosinone, Italy)

📆 Dates: July 14–17, 2025

The programme is structured around three complementary sections:

1️⃣ Landscape restoration in Mediterranean contexts: introducing key concepts on landscape restoration, participatory approaches, and the connections between scientific knowledge, local values and territorial identity. 🗝️ ⛰️
2️⃣ Participatory assessment & digital tools: exploring Landscape Observatories, geoinformatics, Earth Observation, digital twins, participatory mapping, questionnaires and other innovative methods supporting landscape monitoring, planning and restoration. 🛰️🗺️🤝
3️⃣ Hands-on learning in the case study of Monte Cairo: experiencing the landscape through field visits and interactive workshops with TOPIO partners and local residents to identify restoration opportunities and map landscape change together. 👣🌄

The Summer School will combine lectures, methodological training and field experience, fostering collaboration among TOPIO partners, invited experts, local stakeholders and the wider community to advance participatory and evidence-based landscape restoration across Mediterranean territories.

✏️ Save the date and stay tuned for highlights from another inspiring week of learning, collaboration and landscape exploration!

04/06/2026

🗪 Giving Voice to the Landscape of Chouto

What happens when local knowledge, lived experience, and scientific expertise come together?

🔭 This March, residents, technical experts, and researchers gathered in Chouto, Portugal, for a participatory session of , exploring the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the local landscape.

🌾From rural depopulation and the loss of traditional knowledge to the changing value of local products and the impacts of renewable energy developments, participants reflected on the interconnected forces transforming both the territory and the communities that depend on it.
💬 Through open dialogue and collective reflection, the workshop helped identify priorities for action and reinforced the importance of community participation in building resilient and sustainable rural landscapes.

📖 The event concluded with the presentation of Landscape and Identity: Chamusca Between the Fields and the Heathland (“Paisagem e Identidade: a Chamusca entre o Campo e a Charneca”), a publication that brings together technical expertise and local perspectives to celebrate the area's unique landscape identity.

🔗This session builds on two previous workshops dedicated to community mapping and vision-building, continuing the collaborative journey towards a more resilient Chamusca landscape.

06/05/2026

Στο πλαίσιο του ευρωπαϊκού ερευνητικού έργου – Towards Democratic Landscape Observation through Geoinformatics and Public Participation , το Institute for Mediterranean Studies - FORTHτου Ίδρυμα Τεχνολογίας και Έρευνας με επιστημονικό υπεύθυνο τον Δρ. Δημήτρη Αλεξάκη (Κύριο Ερευνητή) και τον Υπ. Διδάκτορα Γιώργο Λαμπρόπουλο, σε συνεργασία με Δήμος Κισάμου, διοργανώνει θεματικό εργαστήριο συμμετοχικής παρατήρησης και χαρτογράφησης του Τοπίου.

Το εργαστήριο θα πραγματοποιηθεί την Παρασκευή 8 Μαΐου 2026, στο Πολιτιστικό Κέντρο Πλατάνου Κισσάμου, με πιλοτική εφαρμογή στην ευρύτερη περιοχή των Φαλασάρνων. Στόχος της δράσης είναι η ενημέρωση των πολιτών για το έργο TOPIO, η συμμετοχική χαρτογράφηση διακριτών τύπων Τοπίου και η καταγραφή χαρακτηριστικών του τοπίου μέσα από τη συλλογική γνώση, εμπειρία και αντίληψη των κατοίκων και των φορέων της περιοχής.

Η συμβολή της τοπικής κοινωνίας είναι ιδιαίτερα σημαντική, καθώς η γνώση των ανθρώπων που ζουν, εργάζονται και δραστηριοποιούνται στην περιοχή μπορεί να εμπλουτίσει την επιστημονική παρατήρηση και να υποστηρίξει πιο ουσιαστικές προσεγγίσεις για τη βιώσιμη διαχείριση του Τοπίου.

Η γνώση σας. Το Τοπίο μας. Το κοινό μας μέλλον.

09/02/2026

📅 On 7 December, the team had the opportunity to present the project at the 3rd Conference On Participatory Design (participatory LAB) at the Agricultural University of Athens, within the session “Layers of Evidence: Decoding Conflicts, Cities and Landscapes.”
👥 Alongside researchers, professors and scientists, we shared insights from our work “Citizen Science and Public Participation in Landscape Governance,” with a focus on the case study area in Crete.
🌍 The presentation showcased how TOPIO brings together geoinformatics, Earth Observation and AI, combined with participatory methods, to support more inclusive and transparent landscape governance across Europe. By merging scientific data with citizen observations, participatory mapping, co-design workshops and local experiential knowledge, TOPIO contributes to more informed and democratic decision-making.
🤝 We appreciated the opportunity to contribute to a session that explored landscape and urban challenges from diverse perspectives. A big thank you to the organisers and participants for the rich and productive discussions that followed.