Understanding Human-Wildlife Relationships in Northern Italy

There is an abundant of interdisciplinary research regarding connections between humans and nature aimed at mobilizing Local Ecological Knowledge and perspectives within conservation efforts. Additionally, despite an abundance of research concerning pollinator declines, there is very little research exploring local knowledge of pollinators within connections between humans and nature. To address this gap, we conducted interviews with thirty-five local people in communities surrounding Monte Grappa in the northern region of Veneto, Italy to explore generational differences in relationships between people, plants, and pollinators. Our study aimed to understand Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) that exists in this area regarding local plant use, whether such knowledge extends to local pollinator species of which those plants depend on, as well as the perception of threats to local ecosystems and wildlife. We focused on three local, native species of plants (Stachys recta, Taraxacum officinale, and Hypericum perforatum) and insects (Vespa crabro, Apis mellifera, various species from genus Bombus, various bee species from family Apoidea, various wasp species from family Vespidae, various fly species from family Syrphidae) to prompt discussion and to grasp the LEK that exists in the area regarding key species. Semi-structured interviews including questions regarding participants’ general relationships and awareness of the surrounding natural areas and local pollinator species. Participants were also shown photos of local plants and insects and asked if they could identify the species, knew any local names, noticed any pollinators visiting (for the plants), knew of any uses (for the plants), if they noted any behaviours (for the insects) and any other natural history observations Overall, we found that LEK regarding local plants, for the majority of participants, did not extend to local pollinator species. For plant species, LEK was most notable regarding culinary uses of Taraxacum officinale that has been foraged in the area over many generations and recognized for several health benefits. Stachys recta and Hypericum perforatum were recognized by some participants as being used by previous generations for medicinal remedies. For insects, Apis mellifera was the most mentioned and recognized species among participants, while other ubiquitous local, native pollinators were less likely to be identified. Our results also found that vineyards and pesticides were the biggest concerns of participants regarding threats to both the surrounding natural area and pollinator species, of which we discuss could be attributed to participants’ personal connection to land-use change.