Approval of LIFE VIDALIA ensures conservation of two endemic flora species in the Azores
The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism announced on São Miguel that a new LIFE project, designated as LIFE VIDALIA, has been approved for the Azores. According to her, this is a "development and innovation programme targeted to the Azorina Vidalii and Lotus Azoricus, which will allow the conservation of these endemic flora species" in the archipelago.
"With an overall investment of about 1.8 million Euros, this LIFE project will reinforce the natural populations of these species, while reducing their threats. It will mainly focus on Pico, Faial and São Jorge and the conservation works will cover all the Natura 2000 sites located on these islands," stressed Marta Guerreiro.
The Secretary for the Environment spoke in Ponta Delgada at the conference entitled "10 years of Natural Parks in the Azores," an event attended by several members of the National Council for Environment and Sustainable Development, including its president. The conference panel included Hernâni Jorge, Regional Director for the Environment, Helena Calado, professor at the University of the Azores, Diogo Caetano, President of Amigos dos Açores Ecological Association, and António Abreu, sustainability expert.
Marta Guerreiro pointed out that the "Island Natural Parks are the base management unit of the Network of Protected Areas of the Azores, covering all the classified areas of each island."
"Promoting an integrated and coherent management of all areas considered fundamental to nature conservation, the consolidation of Island Natural Parks has conferred greater visibility to the natural heritage of the Azores. It was followed by the implementation and reinforcement of a wide network of visiting and environmental interpretation centres throughout all islands," added the government official.
In her speech, Marta Guerreiro highlighted the development of the Natural Park Management Plans, the implementation and amendment of the regulations on the access to some protected areas and the importance of Nature Watchers as the main assets "in the process of caring, monitoring and protecting the natural heritage."
According to the Regional Secretary, "preserving nature does not solely involve the implementation of policies. It also requires, above all, a collective awareness and an environmental citizenship that should be increasingly active." In this regard, she pointed out that the Regional Government "has traced a path that seems to be more effective in disseminating the awareness for the implementation of good practices, encouraging public individual and collective participation in environmental matters."
"The Island Natural Parks play, once again, a key role in promoting environmentally sustainable practices," the government official said, highlighting some programmes.
"In the case of Open Park, the Government carried out 400 actions that covered about 15,500 participants," said the Regional Secretary. In this regard, she noted that the "positive data registered by this programme add up to the data registered by the School Park programme in the school years 2016 and 2017. Overall, there were approximately 1,000 actions that covered over 22,600 people."
"These figures reflect our commitment to the development of activities suited to the involvement of the entire community with the aim of raising awareness and uniting efforts towards a society with increasingly ecological and sustainable habits," said the Regional Secretary.