Tuscany is one of the most biodiverse and environmentally abundant regions of Europe. With an area of 23,000km2 (the same size as Belize), it contains a multitude of ecological hotspots in diverse habitats, from coastal wetlands, hot springs and uninterrupted rivers, through precious island refuges, to the ancient forests of the Apennines. However, many of its natural wonders are threatened by a changing climate, unsustainable agricultural and forest management practices, illegal fishing, plastic pollution and poor air quality in the main cities, further impacted by mass tourism particularly around the
coast in the summer.

There are already many excellent grassroots initiatives in Tuscany, often lacking critical funds to achieve their long-term goals. There is huge potential to boost these initiatives and enable them to make a far greater impact. The Tuscany Environment Foundation has already been supporting some of them during the last few years: protecting sea turtles with TartAmare in Marina di Grosseto; assessing the health of pollinators across the region and teaching more than 1000 school children how to create pollinators-friendly habitats with the project X-Polli:Nation; monitoring the
biodiversity of mammals in protected areas across the region; and recovering waste and abandoned fishing nets from the waters around the island of Giglio with Marevivo.