The new “E. Dioli” Botanical Garden in Valmalenco (SO, Italy): from ethnobotany a means to the conservation and promotion of autochthonous plant species

Within the framework of the European Interreg Italy-Switzerland B-ICE project (2019-2022) and the current B-ICE GEMME project (2022-2023), following an ethnobotanical investigation that involved 401 inhabitants of Valmalenco (SO, Italy), the conceptualization, designing, and realization of two Botanical Gardens on the territory have been taking place. Specifically, the “E. Dioli” Botanical Garden in Sant’Antonio di Caspoggio (1,300 m a.s.l.) and its branch, the Didactic Botanical Garden in Caspoggio (1,098 m a.s.l.) were designed with the main purpose of preserving the traditional knowledge concerning autochthonous plant species and promoting new strategies, in accordance with the primary objectives of the projects, for the sustainable development of the area. As a matter of fact, as Alpine regions have been suffering more and more due to the ongoing climate crisis, searching for valuable alternatives to winter tourism has become pivotal. Cultural tourism may represent such an alternative and the two Botanical Gardens, so closely intertwined with the traditions of the valley, may be the keystone of this new development. Focusing on the “E. Dioli” Botanical Garden, special attention was paid to the accessibility of the spaces, the sustainability of the materials used, and the usability of the layout by different types of audiences. The Garden is named after Erminio Dioli, architect and artist born in Caspoggio at the end of the 19th century, with the purpose of creating a dedicated cultural circuit along with the homonymous museum in Caspoggio on the life and works of the artist. The Garden was designed to host 70 selected plant species arranged in 8 flowerbeds, each for every traditional field of use. With the involvement of experts, the total area extension, maximum height reached by the plants, potential incompatibility among the species, special needs in terms of soil, watering, and pedo-climatic characteristics, level of protection, and aesthetics were taken into consideration. New illustrative panels and ad hoc high-level labels were created for each plant species with the following information: botanical family, scientific name, common and vernacular name, botanical characters, habitat and altitudinal zone, protection, balsamic period, part of the plant used, active compounds, and traditional uses identified during the field investigation. With a view to inclusiveness, the interpretative apparatuses also contain information in Braille and a QR code for accessing to the content in English. Within the context of the development of local resources and as part of a Citizen Science framework, a three-part course for local guides and volunteers was planned, starting from November 2022; it took place with the aim of selecting and training people in the management of the yearly summer opening. Jointly with the selected guides and other experts, a schedule of weekly activities, laboratories, guides, and tours was developed for both children and adults, with special attention to people with disabilities. Additionally, in association with professional illustrators, booklets for children, leaflets, bookmarks, and gadgets were created in order to help the self-support of the Garden, which will be inaugurated in July 2023. Finally, the website is currently under development. In the framework of a cyclic ethnobotanical investigation, the “E. Dioli” Botanical Garden represents a precious and effective means to abide by the Open Science features of the project, as an area suspended in time and space, where past and present traditions meet through the selection of plant species.