(Photo by Markus Preussing)

The 1st EDIT Summer School 2008 was held in the Marittime Alps of France and Italy

In the rich natural beauty of the Maritime Alps, 20 young biologists from 13 European countries were given the opportunity to learn about the importance of taxonomy. In biology, taxonomy is the science of classifying and identifying biological organisms. EDIT or the European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy, is a European Network of Excellence for the advancement of taxonomy. The 1st "EDIT Summer School for Modern Taxonomy and Field Work" brought together professional taxonomists from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, France and Great Britain to teach students how to sample, identify and classify the biodiversity of living organisms.

With a common border of 35 km, the Parc National du Mercantour in France and Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime in Italy provided an ideal setting for this 1st EDIT Summer School. In France, prehistoric drawings dating back to the Bronze age form the largest open-air site for rock engravings in Europe. The stunning surroundings of both parks combine with this ancient cultural heritage to remind us of the importance of passing on knowledge and skills to young researchers. An increased awareness of the plants and animals around us is especially relevant today as the earth faces species extinction at a rapidly increasing pace. 

The 1st EDIT Summer School was organized with the help of: