Regional Government invests more than 200 thousand euros in expansion of Faial Botanical Garden's plant nurseries
The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism stated today that works are under way to expand the plant nurseries of Faial Botanical Garden, an overall investment of more than 200 thousand Euros that will double the installed capacity for "ex situ" propagation of Azorean endemic flora species.
This is a project co-funded under LIFE VIDALIA, a project coordinated by the Regional Directorate for the Environment. It has as its main goal to improve the conservation status of the protected endemic flora species "Azorina vidalii" and "Lotus azoricus" on the islands of Pico, Faial and São Jorge, corresponding to an overall investment of 1.8 million Euros.
“The plant nurseries of Faial Botanical Garden play a key role in the nature conservation activities carried out throughout the Region, whether through the production of plants for planting projects and initiatives, or through the development of plant propagation protocols in conjunction with the Azores Seed Bank,” stressed Marta Guerreiro, who spoke at the end of a visit to the works in progress.
The Secretary for the Environment recalled that, since last year, the Faial Botanical Garden encompasses the new premises of the Seed Bank and has now includes Azores Orchidarium, an investment of 600 thousand Euros, which has doubled its total area.
In this context, she also highlighted the ongoing project aimed at duplicating the collection of the Azores Seed Bank and its installation on another island, ensuring its redundancy and reducing the risk of losing this important genetic heritage in the event of accident or catastrophe.
"The Faial Botanical Garden has been consolidating a position of reference in the context of botanical gardens worldwide, being associated with the most important institutions in the sector, including the Botanical Gardens Conservation International," added the government official.
According to the government official, “this is much more than an environmental centre, seeing that it is also a fundamental structure of the strategy for the protection of biodiversity and conservation of the natural flora of the Azores.”
“Accordingly, the Faial Botanical Garden is an important vehicle for conservation, research and awareness, contributing to the growing environmental awareness of all those who visit this place and making each Azorean a true guardian of this impressive and exuberant nature that is one of our main assets," stressed Marta Guerreiro.