Last updated: May 2025
The Bee Park Molentargius is a project located in the Molentargius-Saline Regional Natural Park, in Cagliari. It is part of a broader effort to regenerate abandoned and underutilised urban spaces, transforming them into areas that support biodiversity, promote sustainability, and engage the local community in environmental stewardship (3,4). The primary goal of the Bee Park Molentargius project is to restore specific areas of the Molentargius Park to their original ecological and productive functions. It aims to enhance biodiversity, support sustainable agricultural practices, and promote environmental education. The project includes the creation of shared gardens and an educational apiary, designed to reclaim the park’s identity and encourage local participation in the management and preservation of this important natural resource (1,3). It was developed with financial support from the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and the European Union's Horizon Europe Framework Programme. Inaugurated in March 2024, the project is a collaborative initiative involving local citizens, institutions, and park beneficiaries. It includes various educational components, such as beekeeping and olive growing training courses, along with sensory analysis workshops for honey and olive oil. These activities are intended to educate the public while fostering a sense of community ownership and responsibility toward the park (1,2). The project indirectly addresses environmental hazards related to the degradation of urban green spaces and loss of biodiversity. By restoring the park’s natural and productive functions, the Bee Park Molentargius helps mitigate risks associated with urbanisation, such as habitat loss and the decline of pollinator populations, which are crucial for maintaining ecological balance and food security (3)
photo of the park
https://www.beeparkmolentargius.it/il-parco/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable production
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Rapid urbanization
Key priorities
Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Sustainable use of natural resources to improve livelihoods and food security (eg. community- based wildlife or forest management), Educational and awareness raising programs
Project objectives
-Restore the productive and ecological identity of degraded areas within the Molentargius Park through agricultural regeneration. (Ref. 1, 3)
-Support biodiversity by integrating pollinator-friendly practices, such as beekeeping and shared gardens. (Ref. 3)
-Promote sustainability education via training, sensory labs, and community learning. (Ref. 3, 7)
-Involve citizens and local stakeholders in the co-management and care of the territory. (Ref. 1, 2, 3)
Implementation activities
Creation of an urban educational apiary to support pollinators and promote environmental learning (Ref. 3)
Development of shared community gardens to restore agricultural land use and involve local citizens (Ref. 3)
Organization of training courses in beekeeping, olive cultivation, and sensory analysis of honey and oil (Ref. 3)
Delivery of experiential environmental education labs for youth and adults, led by CEAS Molentargius and CEAS Istrù (Ref. 7)
Community involvement in planning and land care through participatory meetings and collaborative management activities (Ref. 1, Ref. 2)
Launch event and public presentation to engage citizens and gather input on project goals and activities (Ref. 1)
Online communication and outreach through a dedicated project website to share updates and invite participation (Ref. 2)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Public sector institution
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The Bee Park Molentargius project is being led by the park administration, particularly CEAS (Centri di Educazione Ambientale e alla Sostenibilità), which is dedicated to environmental education and sustainability. Additionally, the project is supported and funded by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and the European Union's Horizon Europe Framework Programme. The project is a collaborative initiative that involves various stakeholders, including local citizens, institutions, and beneficiaries of the park (Ref 1,2,3).
Funded through the regional call for projects aimed at the care and enhancement of common goods, this project aims to return some areas of the Molentargius Park to their original vocation, producing a positive impact on the biodiversity of the area.
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public regional budget
- EU funds
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Expected increased green space area
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Expected increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Increased number of species present
- Expected increased number of species present
- Enhanced support of pollination
- Achieved enhanced support of pollination
- Restoration of derelict areas
- Achieved restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- More sustainable tourism
- Expected more sustainable tourism
- Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Expected increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Achieved improved social cohesion
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
- Expected increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Achieved increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Unica Radio (2024). “Bee Park”, per la rigenerazione del Parco Molentargius. Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Molentargius-Saline Regional Natural Park (2024). Bee Park Molentargius. Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
3.
coevolvers (2024). Bee Park in Montentargius-Saline. Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Lai, Franco (2013). Nature and the city: The salt-works park in the urban area of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy). Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Consorzio del Parco Regionale Delta del Po dell’Emilia-Romagna (2011). ACTION A.1: Elaboration of the Project's Operational Programme and subscription of convention among partners.. Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Molentargius-Saline Regional Natural Park (1999). STATUTO DEL CONSORZIO DEL PARCO NATURALE REGIONALE MOLENTARGIUS - SALlNE. Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Molentargius-Saline Regional Natural Park (2024). Educational Activities. Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
garden space for the workshop
https://www.beeparkmolentargius.it/attivita-educative/
workshop in the apiary
https://www.beeparkmolentargius.it/attivita-educative/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.