Appia Antica, Plantvoice sensors to monitor the historic trees of the Bosco Sacro

On the occasion of the European Day of Parks, the Appia Antica Regional Park and Plantvoice are launching a scientific monitoring project focused on the historic trees of the Bosco Sacro, along the Via Appia Antica, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2024.

The installation of the sensors, scheduled for May 24, 2026, will make it possible to collect real-time data on the physiological condition of the plants, with the aim of measuring their vigor, CO2 absorption capacity and carbon footprint. The project focuses on some of the area’s most valuable specimens, including the centuries-old holm oaks of the Bosco Sacro.

The technology developed by the South Tyrolean startup analyzes sap without damaging the trees and transfers the information to a cloud platform supported by artificial intelligence algorithms. For the Park, the project represents a prevention and protection tool capable of making the management of the tree heritage more precise.

“Giving trees a voice means making them active protagonists in the conservation process,” said Fabrizio Molina, Special Commissioner of the Appia Antica Regional Park.

According to Matteo Beccatelli, CEO and co-founder of Plantvoice, monitoring can also provide objective data in a context in which the management of public green spaces is often at the center of debate and controversy. The goal is to turn the assessment of tree health into a more transparent process, based on scientific evidence rather than arbitrary decisions.

The Appia Antica initiative thus marks a new step in the use of digital technologies to protect historic greenery and protected areas.