Introducing young people to the study of biodiversity is a key step towards building a culture of sustainability.
Through environmental education, ISPRA promotes awareness of the relationship between humans and nature, encouraging students to observe, understand, and respect ecosystems.
Fungi represent a fascinating and educationally valuable topic: they are still little known, yet essential for the balance of natural environments. Explaining their role as decomposers, symbionts, and indicators of habitat quality helps students develop a more complete and scientific view of nature.
This initiative is part of the ISPRA Programme of Environmental Education and Sustainability Initiatives, which contributes to promoting an environmental culture based on sustainability and responsible citizenship, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and the UNESCO learning objectives for Education for Sustainable Development.
ISPRA’s educational activities are based on up-to-date scientific content and participatory methodologies that promote experiential and interdisciplinary learning.

Each year, the Network for the Study of Mycological Diversity (NMD) organises meetings and workshops focused on fungi as environmental indicators.
During these activities, students take part in practical experiences of observation and recognition of the main parts of a mushroom, use the Fungi Workbook to complete guided exercises, and experiment with simple methods to understand species diversity and their ecological value.

For the school year 2025–2026, the following schools in Rome are participating in the project:

• • Rita Levi Montalcini
  • Via Padre Semeria
  • Mommsen