Training course: “Discovering Living Beings”

April 29, 2025

As part of the Blue Flag programme and in partnership with the LEVERS project, Expolab - Centro Ciência Viva organised the accredited training session “Discovering Living Beings” on 22 March. This initiative, aimed at teachers from Santa Maria, included a module dedicated to the Biodiversity of the Azores, in which the LIFE SNAILS project, coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, played an active role.

The LIFE SNAILS management team attended the event with a general presentation of the project, highlighting its impact on the conservation of Azorean endemic species and the ecological restoration of the Laurissilva forest. During the session, an update was also provided on Action E.3 concerning the new educational programme that will be implemented in Santa Maria’s schools for the 1st to 4th grade of the Estudo do Meio (Environmental Studies) subject.

The afternoon was dedicated to field activities, starting with a visit to the facilities of the associated beneficiary, the Regional Directorate for Forestry Resources (DRRF) on Santa Maria. Here, participants had the opportunity to learn about the work carried out by the DRRF, from seed collection to the germination processes and planting of endemic species.

The event concluded with a guided walk through the LIFE SNAILS intervention areas, allowing participants to deepen their knowledge of the endemic species of the Azores, with a particular focus on those from Santa Maria, explore the natural habitat of terrestrial snails, and reflect on the impacts of human activity on biodiversity. Additionally, emphasis was placed on the issue of invasive species, highlighting the challenges they pose to the conservation of natural habitats and the strategies adopted within the project for their control.

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