Parcobaleno - the name is a play on the Italian for park and rainbow - is a beautiful green area of two hectares within the park of Bosco Virgiliano, situated at the gates of Mantua. Parcobaleno is not only a great place to take a walk or to have a picnic, but it’s also a centre of environmental education, with workshops and events taking place all year round.

During the event, the audience took a walk around this fascinating park with British writer Helen Macdonald, author of acclaimed books such as H is for Hawk and Vesper Flights. MacDonald talked about her relationship with the natural world: since childhood she has always felt a strong, caring connection with nature and animals, in which she often found company. Following studies in English literature and after working in conservation in the Middle East she discovered what she wanted to do in life, observe the wilderness. Since then, her main goal has been to understand how we truly see nature without the filters imposed by culture.

As they walked, attendees had the opportunity to talk with the author about the different species of flora and fauna that live in the park. The writer talked about the common swift, for example, a migratory bird that flies all its life and that with today’s urbanisation faces more and more problems in finding a suitable spot to nest. Macdonald also talked about the ivy plant, an essential element for many animals’ survival, especially in the winter. Its leaves allow wild creatures to protect themselves from the cold and its berries represent an important food source.