The Association of Ecological Guards in the Province of Bologna was formally constituted on the First of March 1988. Currently it consists of 230 volunteers and it acts under the powers conferred from L.R. 23/89.
The main headquarters is based in Bologna in the Tamba Villa, Via of the Selva di Pescarola 26, and there are six local headquarters in Imola, San Lazzaro di Savena, Casalecchio di Reno, San Giovanni in Persiceto, Castel di Casio and Monteveglio.
Regional Laws provide powers of enforcement for the Volunteer Ecological Guards, in the matters of:

• llegal taking of spontaneous and rare flora, and products of the forest and the underbrush;
• regulations of the Regional Parks and the natural reservoirs;
• wastewater drainage into rivers and channels;
• solid waste disposal;
• antipoaching policy and fishing regulations.

Our yearly program of activities is approved by the Province of Bologna,and coordinated with the Board of Directors of the Volunteer Ecological Guards (VEG or GEV in Italian).
Every month we produce a schedule of responsabilities, determined by the current planned activities and the availability of the individual volunteers.
The surveillance of the Parks is the priority activity of the GEV.
GEV also belongs to the Provincial Association of volunteers for disaster relief (Protezione Civile), and we can be called on in any moment in case of emergencies, ie. floods, fires, earthquakes, etc. The GEV collaborate also to report and contain wood fires in the summer months.