Urban Ecology
Making space for the wild in the city through rewilding, permaculture, and community care at Terra Franca.
Urban Ecology is a youth-led pathway in Cruillas (Palermo) developed with HRYO, Terra Franca, Centro Kenkō, and Collettivo Rewild Sicily.
The project regenerates Terra Franca turning it into a living hub for ecological education, youth participation, and community exchange.
Why “rewilding” in the city?
Rewilding, in our approach, means creating the conditions for small “wild patches” to expand, connect, and host biodiversity—even in an urban neighborhood. Starting from this idea, we join forces in Cruillas to offer community gatherings, environmental education, and practical tools that help nature (and people) thrive together.
Terra Franca (Cruillas, Palermo)
Terra Franca is a plot of land confiscated from the mafia in the Cruillas neighbourhood of Palermo. Since 2019 it has been stewarded by HRYO and returned to the community as a living space for social and ecological experimentation. Here, environmental education, permaculture-based practices, and community-led initiatives can take shape over time—turning a place once linked to illegality into a shared ground for learning, care, and local change.
What we do
Educational pathways (Centro Kenkō)
Participatory learning days on permaculture and biodiversity, including territory observation, urban food-forest design, seed saving/propagation, heritage fruits and grafting—offering concrete tools to care for the city and its nature.
Hands-on rewilding labs (Collettivo Rewild Sicily)
Practical workshops to build bug hotels, create seed bombs with native species, and support urban fauna through bird nest boxes and bat boxes—guided by experts and linked to monitoring and observation.
Social Sustainable Market (HRYO + Terra Franca)
A youth-led sustainable market connecting small producers, artisans, and local actors active in permaculture and the social economy—designed as a space for knowledge exchange, community strengthening, and training in event planning.
Open materials & mini rewilding guide
Educational content produced during the project will remain accessible and reusable, supporting learning beyond the workshops and encouraging everyday “mini rewilding” actions.
In collaboration with:
Funded by:
