08 February 2012

On February 1, 2012 was official inaugurated a Strategic Plan for the Nature conservation in the Natural Parks of Azores, entitled “+ Endemics”, based on the motto “More Endemics – Planting the Future”, which is based on the removal and combat of invasive species, production of natural species of Azores, ecological restoration of the endangered areas with planting those species and seed conservation of the endangered species in a seed bank properly prepared for this purpose.

As such, the Regional Secretariat of the Environment and the Sea, launched a movement that contributes to this campaign, through involvement with the population, with the promotion of a voluntary movement in the archipelago called “An Azorean, An Endemic Plant” that aims the planting of one plant per each inhabitant living in Azores (a total of about 260 thousand), particularly in places were the invasive flora was removed in the last 3 years. Thus, on the Faial Island, for example, the local campaign shall be called “An Faialense – An Endemic Plant”, in São Miguel will be “An Micaelense – An Endemic Plant” and so on for all the other Islands.

That way in Faial Island, whose population is about 15 thousand inhabitants, will be planted, in 2012, 15 thousand plants, of which about 5 thousand in Pedro Miguel Ponds, the site chosen for the launch of this strategic plan for the conservation in the Natural Parks of the Islands of the Azores. The voluntary actions in these ponds are open to the public during all February month by applying in the Faial Natural Park, but today, in an emblematic way, the first action is performed with the help of the students from Primary School of Pedro Miguel, with ages from 6 to 10 years old.

These Ponds, inserted into the Protected Area for the Management of Habitat or Species of Lomba Grande, where recent acquired by the Regional Government, and includes an area of 3,3 hectares, rich in Azorean natural fauna and flora. All the natural surrounding has a high educational, scientific, recreational and tourism potential and, as such, it is believed that the exploration and the adequacy of this area in an integrated and simplified way to visitors could bring strong benefits, not only to the Faial Natural Park, but also to the Island itself and to the region.

Thus, these Ponds, with the new planted vegetation, associated to a very humid environment, impose a relevance that relates to the possibility to generate a local biodiversity, fauna and flora, typical of medium-altitude wetlands. The habitat here created provides, by the existence of water, a life support to several bird species.

Nesting, wintering our just passing, this place will, certainly, be of greater importance, once it serves as a shelter and feeding place to several aquatic species, contributing to an increase of the surrounding native avifauna revealing a high potential to the “Bird Watching” tourist activity. For this reason, the Faial Natural Park created a hood shelter, inside of which has an informational panel that allows an easy identification of more than 35 bird species.

So, better location could not have been chosen for this first voluntary action, once it also comes in harmony with the World Wetlands Day (February 2).

To point out that, in addition to the planting of 5 thousand plants, also proceeded to the signalization of the rood to the ponds and, with the help of the Regional Secretariat of Agriculture and Forestry and the Regional Secretariat of Science, Technology and Infrastructures, to the improvement of the access, the cleaning of the gutters and the renewal of the pluvial waters into the interior of the ponds, as well as the removal of some invasive flora, namely hydrangeas, bramble and ginger lily.