Tackling Pollinator Decline in the Mediterranean Area Product, Research2024
The Mediterranean area has witnessed centuries of migratory flows, which have shaped the entire faunal territory of Southern Italy by introducing non-indigenous plants. However, many of these plants, which thrive wildly on line roadsides, do not produce pollinator-friendly flowers. Compounding this challenge are the negative effects of rising temperatures, which lead to long periods of drought. This environmental upheaval has contributed to a worrying decline in pollinator populations. The abandonment of green spaces in public areas, such as roadsides, further aggravates the problem, favoring the growth of plants that do not flower, thereby decreasing the already limited resources for pollinators. By recognizing the intricate relationship between urban environments and insect populations, the imperative to stimulate their prosperity becomes clear.

This investigative project proposes an innovative intervention aimed at improving the conditions of pollinators in urban spaces and hostile environments. Thanks to artificial hives, designed as new habitats where pollinators can thrive amid expanses of concrete, pollinators obtain an emergency food source during times of scarcity from transformative flowers, facing the challenges posed by drought and erratic weather patterns.

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‘Tackling Pollinator Decline in the Mediterranean Area: A New Approach Through Gigi Totaro’s Lens’, interview by Simone Lorusso for C41 Magazine: https://www.c41magazine.com/tackling-pollinator-decline-in-the-mediterranean-area-a-new-approach-through-gigi-totaros-lens/

Special thanks to 
Jeroen van de Gruiter, Metahaven, Simone Lorusso

Gigi TotaroEmail: gigi.totaro5@gmail.com