Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place

The association Legambiente Catania has presented a project to protect and enhance the biodiversity of the Cibali forest, a natural reserve in Catania close to the volcano Etna. The area has been subjected to strong anthropogenic pressures in the last decades, and the area is home of several species of flora and fauna. The main aim of this intervention Is to protect endangered species and to preserve the services the forest provides in terms of air quality regulation and heat mitigation. In addition, the entire zone is a cultural heritage for the whole island (Ref.1.)

The municipality of Catania has promoted an initiative that involves schools and non-profit associations, for which available space for urban gardens and horticulture has been provided. The main aim was to regenerate areas which were used abusively as landfills and for criminal activities. What will be produced must strictly conform to the principles of sustainable production, by using biological products and 0 environmental impact techniques. (Ref.1.)

The 'Painting the Town Green' project got to work with Blossoms Day Nursery, based at Wayfield Primary School. Working with parents of the two-year-olds who attend the nursery, they added more wildlife-friendly areas to the outdoor play space. The grounds are now home to colorful planters hung on the low fences, filled with bulbs which will flower in the Spring, and topped with miniature firs and winter pansies; a beehive-shaped compost bin. All of these things provide rich wildlife habitats and educational opportunities (Ref 1, 4).

The project was developed as an integration garden for the visually impaired managed by the "La Lumière" ABSL (not-for-profit organization) and for the children hospitalized in the Citadel Hospital and for people hospitalized in psychiatry (Ref. 1). On their large terrace, they installed several bins in height to accommodate the vegetables. This garden is used for hospitalized children but also for adults admitted to psychiatry who find activity and serenity there. Since March 2008, the patio adjoining the garden has been designed to allow visually impaired and blind people to garden, and even a small corner is designed specifically for them in the kitchen garden (Ref. 2).

The regeneration of the square in Catania has been envisioned since 2016 and completed in 2017. Apart from the changing rules in the accessibility of the square, the central area was equipped with a large flowerbed and additional trees and plants of different geographical origins. The whole green area provides illumination infrastructure, benches and bins to collect trash. This is expected to improve the whole area, and to create a new place of social inclusion and meeting point. (Ref.1.)

A living green wall packed with plants including primula and thyme was the latest addition to the university's Medway Campus. It was part of a university research project that assessed the benefits of small-scale living walls (ref. 1).

The Center for Initiatives for an Ecological Transition (CITE ASBL) developed an eco-center; a center of demonstration of the techniques respectful of the environment, that functions as an educational community garden. They wanted to create an ecologically-managed and user-friendly green space, that is conducive to the exchange of knowledge and skills but also to mutual aid and dialogue (Ref. 1). Located on the meadow of the Bâneux, in the Saint-léonard district of Liège, the eco-center is integrated in the eastern part of the slopes of the citadel of Liège. (The plot of the eco-center is located on the vestiges of the old coal mine of Bâneux that was closed in 1942.) .Characteristics of the place include proximity to a multicultural urban center, post-industrial environment, accessible by public transport, natural area of tourist interest (Ref. 2).

The project is an initiative that is part of the environmental management system of the University of Murcia. This initiative aims to implement activities related to sustainable agricultural systems while also serving as a space for social cohesion for the members of the community (Ref 3). For this reason, a community garden was constructed and the slots are until 2019 distributed between members of the community of the university based on a bid (Ref 1).

The educational project of a roof-top garden was integrated in the public primary school “Ferran Sunyer”, in the neighborhood of Sant Antoni, Barcelona. The project has motivated pupils to enter the world of urban horticulture, creating synergies with other lectures and has been well received by teachers and parents. This initiative aims to recover nature-appreciation values in children through the maintenance of a rooftop garden and orchard (Ref. 1). The rooftop school orchard has been featured in many videos in international media (Ref. 5).

A 5256 m2 extensive green roof was installed to the Washington School in Sunderland as part of the environmental standard set by the local government’s “Building Schools for the Future” (BSF) programme. Besides being a learning tool and being aesthetically pleasing, the roof provides a habitat, helps reduce ambient temperatures, assist in rainwater management and air filtering. The Hetton Lyons Primary school intervention is also part of this city-wide project (Ref 1).