From butterflies to parrots, invasive species in the city are alert

The butterfly 'bombice dell'ailanto' in Cassano d'Adda (Milan); the 'collared parakeet' parrot portrayed in a snowy Rome; an eastern cottontail or minilepre in the Boscoincittà park in Milan. They are the top three in the photographic contest 'Click, aliens in the city', launched by the European Life Asap project to highlight the problem of alien species that threaten ecosystems even in urban centers. "There are more than three thousand - reads in a note from Life Asap - the alien species present in our territories, and about four hundred are considered invasive: plants and animals of allochthonous origin that put the biodiversity of ecosystems at risk. The phenomenon is still little known but in reality many of these exotic species have settled in our urban areas ". Life Asap, now in its third year of activity, was born to inform and raise awareness of the problem of invasive alien species or plants and animals imported by man, voluntarily or involuntarily, from their places of origin in our country. A spread of hundreds of species that seriously jeopardizes the biodiversity of our ecosystems as well as causing significant damage from a socio-economic point of view. According to Ispra, the invasion of alien species is among the first causes of loss of native biodiversity and animal extinction. "After the success of the first edition - declares Stefano Di Marco, project coordinator for Legambiente - we have chosen to replicate the photographic contest to involve citizens and raise awareness of the problem of invasive alien species, a threat to biodiversity. Stop the spread of species invasive aliens and contributing to the reduction of the social, economic and health risks deriving from them, in fact, is possible only through commitment and awareness ". The three winners were awarded respectively with an Ipad Air, an Action Camera Go Pro and a LowePro Pro Runner photographic trolley.