“Snow Friends†are becoming part of the scene on the Trentino slopes. These are members of the Forest Corps who are available to accompany skiers with the aim of introducing them to a proper appreciation of the natural environment of the area.
The project was recently presented in Panarotta at a press conference. “This is a new service,†explained the Trento Provincial councillor responsible for tourism, Tiziano Mellarini, “the only one of its kind in the Alps; it’s been designed to supplement the piste surveillance and rescue services performed by other corps like the Carabinieri, Police and Financial Police.â€
The Snow Friend service achieved record numbers in 2003/04; the members of the Corps met around 16,000 people, many of them children and teenagers. They gave advice about safe skiing, as well as expert answers to questions about winter flora and fauna, and the mechanisms regulating the rhythms of nature when the snow is covering the woods.
The service will be guaranteed this winter by 28 skiing members of the Forest Corps of Trento Autonomous Province, who will be permanently on duty in the ski areas of Pejo, Polsa San Valentino and Panarotta, and at weekends also at Lavarone and Passo Brocon. Snow Friends will be available at all the other resorts one day a week, working to a programme drawn up on the basis of individual requirements. They will also be available on request to accompany groups of skiing visitors on short educational itineraries. These outings can be booked through the Ski Schools and at information points provided by the Skilift Companies.
