Operation Biodiversity

Source International ETS
Giovanni Ballati

Conceived and produced by Source International ETS and Giovanni Ballati. This
artwork is based on ideas, texts, and drawings created by the students of the
elementary school of Borgomale (grades 3-4-5), the elementary and middle
schools of Bossolasco (grades 4–5 and 3A, respectively), the middle school of
Cravanzana (grades 1–2–3), the elementary school of Feisoglio (grades 3–4–5), the
elementary and middle schools of Lequio Berria (grades 5 and 1B, respectively),
and the elementary and middle schools of Murazzano (grades 4–5F and 2D,
respectively) during the school year 2024-2025.
Illustrated by Giovanni Ballati
Italian version edited by Rachele Ossola with the support of
Clara Masetti and Flaviano Bianchini (Source International ETS)
Translated by Rachele Ossola with the kind support of Katelyn Rediger
This graphic novel was produced in the context of the project Langhe a Scuola:
Azioni e Voci per il Clima , which received support from the “Otto per Mille” fund
of the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai. The authors also wish to thank the
principal of the Istituto Comprensivo Bossolasco-Murazzano and all the teachers
involved in the project for their support and contributions.

Operation Biodiversity
An adventure comics between reality and
imagination to care for our planet
This graphic novel was created within Langhe a Scuola: Azioni e Voci per il Clima,
an initiative promoted by Source International ETS in collaboration with the
Istituto Comprensivo Bossolasco–Murazzano and the support of the “Otto per
Mille” fund of the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai. The project engaged 110
students and 17 teachers from the primary and middle schools of Borgomale,
Bossolasco, Cravanzana, Feisoglio, Lequio Berria, and Murazzano onto a journey of
environmental education and active citizenship focused on biodiversity.
This graphic novel is one of the outcomes of this journey: a collective story that
gave voice to the students’ ideas, emotions, and reflections. Storytelling allows
imagination and reality, fantasy and facts to intertwine, turning learning into a
moment of mindful self-expression.
The story blends fictional and real elements. Imaginary characters, inventive
adventures, and clever solutions created by the students are interwoven with real
aspects inspired by the project's core activities. The pen behind this creative mix
is the comic artist Giovanni Ballati, who transformed the more than 35 "good
practices for biodiversity" developed by the students into a cohesive narrative
that highlights the storytelling threads born from their creativity.
Without further ado, we invite you to dive into these pages with curiosity: you will
discover a lively, original story that entertains, inspires, and encourages reflection.
A journey in which the voices of young people remind us that the future of our
environment — and of our society as a whole — cannot overlook their opinions,
ideas, and dreams.
Enjoy!

The authors
Source International ETS is an Italian NGO that
since 2012 has provided scientific and legal
support to communities living in the most
polluted areas of the world. It also promotes
training programs on environmental
monitoring and leads citizen science projects
in Italy and abroad. It is active in Italian
schools with programs on environmental
education, active citizenship, and human
rights. In recent years, it has involved over 50
teachers and hundreds of students in projects
on water scarcity, biodiversity, and eco-anxiety
in Piedmont, Northern Italy.
Giovanni Ballati (1971) is a comic book author
and illustrator from Pistoia. Since the 1990s,
he has collaborated with numerous Italian and
international magazines, specializing in graphic
novels focusing on social and historical
themes. He has worked with Mondadori, La
Biblioteca, Le Monnier, Stampa Alternativa,
Champion City Comics, Round Robin, Arcadia,
Etruria Editore, and Shockdom. Among his
publications, Gilgamesh e il favoloso mondo
dei Sumeri, L'albero cannibale, Adua, Don
Peppe Diana, Un viaggio, Day 165, Gli 800
martiri, and Migrantes verso il sogno
americano.