Hunting, re-wilding, and nature tourism in the Italian Alps

Northern Italy's Trentino province is a well-known nature tourism destination. Featuring the famous Dolomites, countless hiking trails, ski slopes, and well-managed protected areas, Trentino is often indicated as a successful example of what a modern mountain economy based on nature-friendly tourism might look like.

Not all parts of the region have, however, benefitted from the development of the tourism industry in the latter part of the past Century. Many valleys lost most of their population to urban centres, saw the abandonment of mountain pastures and agricultural activities, and are currently witnessing a dramatic process of “auto-rewilding” (Tsing 2017) as part of which forested areas and wildlife population are rapidly growing.

This project focuses on the experiences of hunters in the “valli del Leno” -- including the three municipalities of Vallarsa, Trambileno, and Terragnolo, in Trentino's south-east -- to address broader issues of conservation, re-wilding, and nature tourism.

In the Valli del Leno, between 1859 and 2010, the surface occupied by forest incremented by 20%, for a total of 82% of the territory. In Vallarsa alone, the overall surface of mountain pasture was cut in half during this time. Furthermore, across the three municipalities the terraced fields in proximity of the villages had been largely abandoned and are now covered by forest and bushes. This dynamic concentrated in the decades starting with the 1970s, leading to de-population and dramatic changes in the social and economic composition of the valley (Salvador and Avanzini 2015, 64-6).

As people left, wildlife returned -- and thrived. This was not, however, solely an unintended consequence of the abandonment of mountain agriculture. The local hunter association played, alongside and in accord with its provincial counterpart, a key role in monitoring and culling animal populations, but also actively fostering the reintroduction of particular species.

As a result of various initiatives, the valleys now host a growing number of large ungulates: red and roe deer, chamois, and wild boar. Wolves have also come back, and have become a much contested yet seemingly permanent feature of the valley's environment. All along, the valley's economy remains largely stagnant, and various initiatives dedicated to attracting tourists have largely been unsuccessful.

This project addresses this particular multispecies entanglement, by following hunters' activities and stories through the valley's changing landscape. Its main outcome will be a feature-length film.