The PCF as a European benchmark in forest planning and management for fire prevention

Nadia's experience doing internships at the PCF

Written by Nadia DeAgostini 

Through the project Erasmus + Traineeship and thanks to the contacts of my professor at the University of Florence, I had the opportunity to do my internship at the Pau Costa Foundation. I have always been interested in forest planning and management for forest fire prevention; issues in which the PCF is a benchmark at a European level.

My tutor, Núria, and her colleagues were immediately enthusiastic and welcoming to me. They welcomed and helped me gladly. I would have loved to have participated with them in many projects. However, my training period was affected by the global coronavirus pandemic, so I had to return to Italy after spending only two weeks in Spain. However, I continued to collaborate electronically. It was a different practice, but equally interesting and enriching.

I mainly worked on a fire risk project in a conservation area in Ireland, Cuilcagh Mountain, for which I helped summarize a list of good practices, after reading several scientific articles. Furthermore, for the same study I calculated the future trend of the SPEI drought index and the temporal variation of the NDVI index in areas affected by fires. Obviously I collaborated on many other tasks, for example creating a partners map with which the PCF maintains projects around the world.

Furthermore, I had the opportunity to write a informative article on the global situation of fires, with the aim of promoting the Florence Congress. In fact, I have also been able to collaborate in the demanding preparation of this world-wide Congress: seek contacts between journalists, prepare promotional letters, translate presentations, search for transport information ...

I hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with them again in the future. Maybe with new projects that actively take me to the field!