Winter wolf tracking in Italy holiday

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION
This adventure is designed around slow, low-impact travel. Rather than moving between multiple destinations or relying on extensive internal flights, the itinerary is centred around Pescasseroli, allowing guests to spend meaningful time in one region, exploring its wildlife and landscapes at a slower pace.

Daily wildlife watching, ecological walks and hikes are human-powered, while the small-group format also helps to reduce the environmental impact per guest.

We coordinate collections to and from airports to reduce cars on the road with group transfers and select recommended flights with lower emissions where practical.

Food is an important part of the experience, with guests eating lunches at small, local restaurants in Pescasseroli and dinners at Villa Parco which employs a ‘farm to table’ philosophy, helping to reduce food miles. Vegetarian and vegan options can be provided as lower carbon meal options.



ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
We are a charitable foundation dedicated to the protection and restoration of wild areas in Europe. We support projects that protect and restore ecosystems, build coexistence with native wildlife, empower rural communities, and connect people to nature. As part of this work, our charitable, small-group journeys spotlight conservation success stories and Europe’s lesser-known wild areas, while generating funds for human-wildlife coexistence programmes.

Our aim with these trips is to create a positive cycle where wildlife conservation, responsible tourism and local livelihoods reinforce one another, giving communities a tangible economic benefit from protecting the wildlife and landscapes around them.

50% of the total cost of this adventure is a direct donation to local wolf conservation organisation Io Non Ho Paura Del Lupo, supporting practical conservation work across the Apennines. This includes monitoring wolf populations, protecting and restoring wildlife corridors between protected areas, working with local communities through education and engagement, preventing conflict and livestock damage, and supporting anti-poisoning and anti-poaching efforts.

The adventure is led by expert local nature guides and hosts, including Umberto Esposito, founder of a local wildlife tour group, and Francesco Romito, Vice President of Io Non Ho Paura Del Lupo, giving you the opportunity to learn directly from people working to protect wolves and promote coexistence. During the adventure, you’ll also search for a range of wildlife that shares this landscape, including chamois, golden eagles, griffon vultures, wild boar, red and roe deer, and woodpeckers.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY
Our adventures focus on wildlife, but the very foundation of coexistence lies within the communities living closest to it. By working with local guides, conservationists, businesses and communities, our adventures aim to ensure that tourism supports the people who share these landscapes with wildlife.

Based in the mountain town of Pescasseroli, guests stay at independently owned Villa Parco and eat at authentic locally-owned restaurants, helping direct tourism spending into the local green economy. The experience also connects guests with the communities living alongside wolves, exploring how local people are adapting to the return of large carnivores and developing practical approaches to coexistence.
Visits to places such as Civitella Alfedena and the Apennine Wolf Museum provide further opportunities to learn about the area's cultural and natural heritage. By travelling as a small group and spending time with local businesses and communities, the adventure helps ensure that the benefits of wildlife tourism reach the people living alongside the wildlife we come to experience.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
The adventure is operated by a local wildlife tour group, founded by co-host Umberto Esposito, alongside Italian wolf conservation organisation Io Non Ho Paura Del Lupo, creating employment and income opportunities for local guides, conservationists and wildlife experts. We deliberately focuses on lesser-known regions of Europe and works with communities living closest to wildlife, recognising their important role in creating long-term, sustainable coexistence.

Our approach aims to ensure that the economic value created by wildlife tourism reaches rural communities and supports livelihoods connected to healthy landscapes. By bringing visitors to lesser-known destinations and working with locally rooted partners, we help create opportunities for communities to benefit from the presence of wildlife and the protection of their natural environment.

All staff working on the adventure are paid above the minimum wage. The trip is LGBTQ+ friendly, and we aim to make reasonable adjustments where possible for guests with accessibility requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing or cognitive needs. This is an active wildlife adventure involving hiking and potentially challenging terrain, so some aspects of the itinerary may not be suitable for everyone. We encourage guests with specific accessibility requirements to contact us before booking so we can discuss their needs and the suitability of the itinerary.