For I'm Not Afraid of the Wolf, 2025 was a year of consolidation and preparation. A period in which the Association continued to grow, strengthening its fieldwork, outreach activities, and dialogue with the communities where the return of the wolf is now a reality.
The new 2025 Annual Report recounts this journey: the projects undertaken, the initiatives completed, and the challenges faced throughout the year. At the same time, it also represents a transition towards 2026, our tenth anniversary. This important milestone invites us to reflect on the progress made and the responsibilities that lie ahead for conservation work in the years to come.
In recent decades, the context in which we operate has changed profoundly. The natural return of the wolf to many areas of Italy and Europe has brought the issue of coexistence between human activities and large carnivores back to the forefront of the debate. This complex issue concerns not only the protection of biodiversity, but also the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of rural and mountainous areas.
In this context, our commitment remains unchanged: to contribute to building knowledge, fostering dialogue between different points of view, and promoting concrete tools to reduce conflict. The presence of wolves can generate real concerns and tensions, especially in areas where livestock farming represents a significant component of the local economy. Ignoring these challenges would be a mistake. This is why we work to ensure that prevention, information, and dialogue become integral parts of wildlife management policies.
Education continues to be a cornerstone of our work. Through school meetings, outreach events, and training activities, we strive to offer tools for understanding biodiversity to younger generations and local communities. At the same time, with initiatives like the Coexistence Fund and prevention efforts, we provide concrete support to those who live and work in areas where the return of wolves has become a permanent presence.
The 2025 Report paints a picture of an Association that continues to grow thanks to the passion of volunteers, supporters, and partners who have chosen to walk alongside us over the years.
As we look to the tenth anniversary that awaits us in 2026, the challenge is not only to defend the results achieved, but to continue to imagine the future: a future in which nature conservation increasingly relies on building knowledge, dialogue, and effective tools for coexistence between humans and wildlife.
Ten years ago, we were born with a simple yet ambitious idea: to demonstrate that talking about wolves means, first and foremost, talking about the relationship between people and nature. Today, as we approach this goal, we are even more convinced that the future of conservation lies precisely here.
Opening photo by Gianluca Damiani