User:Sunnysky1055/City of Varese Ecology Award

The City of Varese Ecology Award was established in 1973 by Prof. Salvatore Furia. It is one of the first awards for ecology established in Italy and perhaps even Europe.

History of the award
The goal of the award is to recognize a person (physical or legal), who has worked for the protection of nature and natural resources through the following


 * literary and artistic works;
 * services or initiatives of unquestionable value for the local, regional or international community in the field of environmental protection and studies;
 * restoration activities of degraded environments or conservation and improvement activities of intact ones;
 * conservation of all forms of natural heritage, whether it be private or public property;
 * establishing and managing natural monuments (biotopes and geotopes) of local, national or international interest;
 * drafting legislative instruments for the protection of environmental health and the quality of human life, for the protection of the territory, air, water, soil, forest vegetation, spontaneous flora and fauna;
 * works of city planning or of civil, industrial or forestry engineering displaying great respect for natural resources and the environment;
 * environmental studies and research useful for the conservation of natural environments;
 * works of popular science, naturalist education and culture.

This award has been awarded from 1973 to 1992 followed by a pause of 25 years. In 2017, seven years after the death of Prof. Salvatore Furia, Varese's city administration decided to renew the tradition of the City of Varese Ecological Award. This initiative is the fruit of the growing importance given to the topics of the environment, ecology and landsape, both in terms of conservation and care as well as the main cultural and turist attraction of the city.

Mario Pavan Award
Since 2018, in addition to the City of Varese Ecology Award, a young graduate student of science is presented with the Mario Pavan Award. The award is named Mario Pavan after the great Italian entomologist and Minister of the Environment, and it consists of a scholarship of €2,500. During the 2018 edition, the Mario Pavan Award went to Francesca Alice Marazzi for her thesis, “Growth of microalgal biomas on supernatant from biosolid dewatering.” The thesis focused on analyzing the integration of microalgae in purification systems with the dual purpose of removing nitrogen and producing biomass to channel to anaerobic digesters. In 2019, the award went to Francesca Marando who wrote a thesis called, "Servizi Ecosistemici in aree urbane: il ruolo delle Infrastrutture Verdi nel miglioramento della qualità dell’aria e nella regolazione del clima a livello locale" ("Ecosystem services in urban areas: the role of Green infrastructure in improving air quality and in regulating climate on a local level.")

The award today
The City of Varese Ecology Award is presented every year during a public ceremony which usually takes place on November 21st, and it is an initiative overseen by the City of Varese in collaboration with the Società Astronomica G.V.Schiaparelli. Partners of the initiative: Università dell’Insubria di Varese, ARPA Lombardia, JRC Ispra (VA).

== The recipients of the City of Varese Ecology Award ==


 * 2019 Salvatore Settis
 * 2018 Michele Lanzinger
 * 2017 Stefano Mancuso
 * 1992 Ardito Desio
 * 1988 Prof. Paolo Maddalena
 * 1987 Prof. Giuseppe Galasso
 * 1986 Dr. Fabio Clauser
 * 1985 Assessorato all'Ecologia e all'Ambiente della Regione Lombardia
 * 1984 Segretario del Comitato Europeo per la salvaguardia della Natura e delle Risorse naturali del Consiglio d'Europa – Strasburgo
 * 1983 Dr. Alfonso Alessandrini
 * 1982 De Monte Faginto Ermes
 * 1981 Wellenzhon Ernst (guardia forestale Stelvio)
 * 1980 Direzione del Parco Nazionale Abruzzo
 * 1979 Dr. Walter Frigo
 * 1978 Dr. Mario Pavan
 * 1977 Prof. Giuseppe Nangeroni
 * 1976 Azienda di Stato Foreste demaniali di Belluno
 * 1975 Mrs. Sofia Stringer Zambeletti
 * 1974 Corpo Nazionale Vigili del Fuoco comando di Varese
 * 1973 Ispettorato ripartimentale Foreste di Varese