Humans of the Forests – Roberto’s story
In the second video of the series, we hear from Roberto, a community activist who wants to rebuild his village with PEFC-certified timber, after it was devastated by an earthquake.
Humans of the Forests – Roberto’s story
10 July 2019 Forests in photos
In our new video series Humans of the Forests (HoF), we hear the fascinating stories of people around the globe who are in touch with forests and timber in their daily lives.
Through the videos, we want to capture the emotions that forests evoke, and the importance they have for humans and communities.
Reviving a community with certified timber
The second video in the series takes us to the Italian village Campi di Norcia in central Italy. In 2016, a devastating earthquake damaged large parts of the medieval village, leaving many without a home.
We meet Roberto Sbriccoli, a community activist in Campi di Norcia, who is determined to rebuild the village with PEFC-certified wood.
“The earthquake erased our historical identity,” Roberto says. “A territory that was rich in art, history and culture was completely destroyed in so little time.”
The devastation that the earthquake brought showed him the importance of listening to nature, and building with elastic materials.
“We need to learn everything that nature teaches us. Not going against nature, but understanding her rules,” he said.
“We need to build differently, in an earthquake-resistant way, with wood. We need to use structures that are elastic, that won’t crumble and destroy, in a matter of seconds, all the sacrifices made over a lifetime.”
Rebuilding Campi di Norcia
“Our idea is developed around wood,” Roberto explains. “But it must be sustainable wood. It serves to help this community to be reborn.”
The Asiago forest reached out and donated PEFC-certified wood to help rebuild the village. Destroyed itself a hundred years earlier during World War I, the forest shall give new life to the devastated community.
By re-building his village with wood, a natural, resilient building material, Roberto is working toward the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
To learn more about the Humans of the Forests, head to the HoF Youtube channel and follow us on Instagram #humansoftheforests.