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On the morning of Monday, October 5, the security staff of the Avigliana Lakes Natural Park thwarted a theft attempt at a private property located on Monginevro Street, in the area of Lake Grande.

In the staff of the Protected Areas of the Cozie Alps, there are 3 silent but extremely valuable operators. They always work with great selflessness, speak little, and always get along with all their colleagues as long as they receive some cuddles and a few treats. We are, of course, referring to the canine units. Luna, with park ranger Bonicelli, and Maya with park ranger Brino are anti-poison dogs, used to sniff out toxic baits that are often used to kill wildlife and pets. We have written about them in the past to discuss their training and some operational activities. But there is a third unit, less visible but equally important; its name is Cherz, and it is a tracking dog.

L'Ente ha avviato un nuovo concorso pubblico per titoli ed esami, per la copertura di n. 3 posti inquadrati nell’area degli istruttori, profilo professionale Guardiaparco-Agente di Vigilanza, a tempo pieno e indeterminato.

The project created by the Protected Areas of the Cozie Alps on the internet site iNaturalist celebrates 100 thousand reports. This is an initiative created in 2017 on the prestigious American web portal to collect and archive naturalistic observations gathered by specialists or by simple enthusiasts according to the principles of citizen science or participatory science.

On the evening of Friday, June 26, a new catfish fishing technique was tested in the Avigliana Lakes Natural Park. This scientific activity aims to identify, using a sonar, the largest specimens of Silurus glanis that typically reside in the deeper areas of the lakes.

Summer is the season with the highest visitor turnout in the Parks and the busiest time for park rangers, both from the perspective of monitoring and from the perspective of surveillance. Because as the number of people, tourists, shepherds, and activities in general increases, so does the likelihood that crimes will be committed against the environmental heritage. The challenge is to promote a culture of respect for the regulations that aim to ensure coexistence between humans and nature in Protected Areas. Sometimes using punitive measures, as Luca Giunti, the new head of the Surveillance Area in the Parks of the Cozie Alps, recounts.

In the months of June and July 2026, monitoring of the stag beetle will begin in the Avigliana Lakes Natural Park. The staff from the Biodiversity and Surveillance areas of the Cozie Alps Parks have decided to start a scientific activity to control Lucanus cervus, which is listed by the European Union as a protected species under the Habitat Directive and is considered to be declining. The aim is to assess its health status in the most suitable area among those managed by the Park Authority.

In 2022, two park rangers from the Protected Areas of the Cottian Alps participated in a monitoring conducted in Aosta Valley as part of the international project GLobal Observation Research Initiative in Alpine environments (GLORIA) to measure the interaction between alpine flora and climate change. After a complex process of data reprocessing, the results of the fieldwork conducted under the guidance of ARPA Aosta Valley were published, with contributions from the Department of Life Sciences and Biological Systems (DBIOS) of the University of Turin and the Mont Avic Natural Park. 

From April 16 to 23, an important session of scientific fishing for wels catfish took place in the Natural Park of the Avigliana Lakes. The operations were conducted by the staff of the National Research Council – Water Research Institute (CNR – IRSA), Coordinator of the Life Predator Project, in which the Protected Areas of the Cozie Alps are partners, to contain the Silurus glanis from the freshwater bodies of southern Europe where it is an invasive alien species.

“I have been passionate about nature and mountains since childhood, but before enrolling at the University, I was unaware of the existence of a profession like that of a park ranger.”

The tone is calm, the words flow interspersed with the pauses typical of someone who reflects carefully before expressing themselves. Bruno Frache officially retired on December 1, 2025, after a whole career in a role he did not dream of as a child but desired and achieved as a young adult through dedication and competence, managing to shape his own existence by mixing the right amounts of work life, family dimensions, and the sphere of passions in the name of harmony and coherence.

“I was coming home exhausted, but happy. The work was hard, due to the shifts and being outdoors in any weather condition, but there were many satisfactions.”

Since October 1, 2025, Valentina Mangini has retired, having served as a park ranger at the Avigliana Lakes Natural Park since 1991.

In the course of 2025, the park rangers of the Protected Areas of the Cozie Alps increased daytime and nighttime monitoring activities regarding fishing in the Natural Park of the Avigliana Lakes, issuing sanctions and carrying out seizures of prohibited equipment. However, beyond the repressive nature of the work carried out, the goal remains the prevention of illegal behaviors to protect those who respect laws and regulations and, above all, to defend a common heritage that belongs to everyone: the environment.

A distanza di un mese dalla pensione lo ritroviamo sul campo della sua amata Val Troncea, operativo come sempre. Questa volta senza la divisa di guardiaparco, ma in veste di inanellatore autorizzato dall’Istituto per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA) per un’attività di monitoraggio dell’avifauna.

Since April 1st, the Parks of the Cozie Alps can rely on a new Anti-Poison Dog Unit (UCA) in operation. The duo formed by park ranger Lorenzo Brino and his Australian shepherd Maya has passed the final exam, the security test that certifies the dog’s ability to intervene independently in poison search activities.

Good morning everyone, my name is Luna and I am a poison control dog. I would like to
share my story and my work with all those who don't know me.
But let's start from the beginning.

Sabato 3 gennaio 2026 ore 21 a Pragelato, sede Parco naturale della Val Troncea, Via della Pineta Frazione La Ruà, incontro tematico con il guardiaparco Lorenzo Ghirardi

Venerdì 11 luglio a Oulx incontro tematico a cura dei guardiaparco Alessandro Perron e Giuseppe Roux Poignant. 

Guided tour for a fee (preceded by a preparatory meeting on August 18) by park warden Patrick Stocco and Alps Cottian Parks Guide Massimiliano Pons

Thematic meeting curated by park warden Patrick Stocco and Guide of Cozie Alps Parks Massimiliano Pons

Five days of activities, games, and excursions dedicated to learning, preserving, and protecting the natural environment, with the Guides of the Cozie Alps Parks.

Il diario di quattro giornate di Dante Alpe, guardiaparco dell'Orsiera Rocciavrè e le sue foto per raccontare l'incedere delle stagioni sono un esempio da seguire per affinare l'attenzione su quanti e quali incontri possono succedersi in poche ore camminando nel parco.

Libro illustrato con acquerelli sul campo che descrivono il Parco Orsiera Rocciavrè e le Riserve di Chianocco e Foresto attraverso lo sguardo di Elio Giuliano, guardiaparco, osservatore e disegnatore che illustra flora, fauna, architettura e geologia, raccontando le vite che si intrecciano tra i sentieri e le creste del territorio su cui vigila.