“The woodland must be cultivated as a field”, conversations about the changing natural environment in Vinigo di Cadore (Belluno, Italy)

This paper focuses on how the Vinighesi (inhabitants of Vinigo di Cadore) perceive and engage with their changing environment. Their primary focus is on the woodland and its management, highlighting the contribution of human activities that made the forest a vibrant living space in the past. However, they also acknowledge that today it is in a state of neglect and no longer a resource for the Vinigo people. Instead, it has become a source of anxiety as the forest encroaches upon the village. They point to changes that are mainly due to human activities, such as depopulation, changing livelihood practices and a different approach to forest management that has led to a lack of care for their environment. The combination of these elements has created a discontinuity in what they perceive as a strong past relationship between people and their territory – particularly the forest – which once allowed the environment to be maintained in a healthy state. Vinighesi assert that this relationship must be restored.