Assessing Ecosystem Services of “Home of Nature” Urban Green Space in Sesto Fiorentino Using i-Tree App in an Educational Project

The urban green spaces provide essential ecosystem services, con-tributing to biodiversity, climate regulation, and social well-being. This study aims to estimate the ecosystem services of the urban green space “Home of Nature” in Sesto Fiorentino and explore its potential use for educational purposes. The green area has been naturally regenerating over the past 15 years. The regeneration of the area includes the creation of a forest and a food forest; therefore, the study focuses on the assessment of its ex-ante and ex-post conditions using i-Tree ECO that estimates ecosystem services provided by green areas. The ex-ante scenario is characterized by the spontaneous vegetation mainly young elm trees (Ulmus spp) and grass cover, while the ex-post scenario includes fruit trees and forest species. The monitoring actions and the estimation of the ecosystem services have been carried out by involving students of the high school Liceo Copernico of Prato. Preliminary results indicate that the transition to a more structured and diverse green space leads to an increase in ecosystem services such as carbon sequestra-tion, food production, air pollution reduction, and habitat provision for local fauna. This initiative enhances ecological benefits and fosters environmental awareness and active citizenship among the younger generation. In addition, it highlights the potential of participatory urban greening projects to enhance ecosystem services, strengthening social cohesion and advancing environmental education. The stu-dents appreciated the interdisciplinary and practical nature of the activities. They contributed meaningfully to data collection and simulation. The findings also pro-vide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers seeking to optimize the ecological and social functions of urban green spaces.