The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism highlighted in Horta that the future House of Azorean Seabirds is "another relevant investment in nature conservation and in the preservation and dissemination of natural heritage," given the importance of the archipelago's biodiversity.
"In the period between 2017 to 2020, we invested around 44 million Euros in nature conservation, representing an increase of more than 80% compared to the four previous years," said Marta Guerreiro.
The Regional Secretary spoke at the ceremony of laying the first stone of the future House of Azorean Seabirds, an investment of Castelo Branco Parish Council carried out with the technical support of the Regional Directorate for the Environment. It is expected to be completed during the spring of 2020.
The Secretary for the Environment highlighted the importance of the initiative undertaken by the parish council, located near the Morro de Castelo Branco Nature Reserve, which is intended to be "a unique space" in the archipelago dedicated to seabirds, "with a special focus on Cory's shearwater and Barolo shearwater."
Marta Guerreiro stated that the future structure will enable the direct contact of different audiences with the specific characteristics of these birds, which will contribute to "the dissemination of the importance of their conservation among the population, namely among tourists visiting Faial Island."
This 180 m2 space includes a reception area and a shop, a permanent exhibition area, with access through a tunnel featuring sounds of Azorean seabirds, and a small multipurpose auditorium with capacity for about 30 people. The latter area will have an audiovisual system designed for the exhibition of a high-definition film on the Morro de Castelo Branco and Azorean seabirds.
In this space, there will be the possibility to carry out educational activities, workshops and seminars on birds as well as working meetings.
In 2015, the Government carried out a landscape intervention in Morro de Castelo Branco Nature Reserve in order to harmoniously organise the space, ensuring the conditions of pedestrian accessibility, also for people with reduced mobility, for the viewing of this geological structure. Additionally, a small outdoor auditorium was built so that visitors can enjoy the nighttime singing of Corey's shearwaters.
“The project we are presenting today aims to continue the work that has been carried out in the redevelopment, preservation and promotion of the natural values of this Nature Reserve,” said Marta Guerreiro.
The Regional Secretary also recalled the important role played by the network of environmental centres, distributed throughout the archipelago, noting that, as of October, they received “almost 400 thousand visitors.”
On the occasion, the Secretary for the Environment also highlighted the implementation of three LIFE projects, namely the Azores Natura integrated project and two traditional projects - Vidalia and Beetles.
"Besides the significant investment in these projects, reaching almost 23 million Euros, co-funded under the European Union's Programme for the Environment and Climate Action, I must point out that we are the only region in Portugal that has, so far, designed an integrated project, which is currently under way. In turn, the LIFE Azores Natura is the largest and most comprehensive nature conservation project ever designed for the Azores," said Marta Guerreiro.