Group of foreign residents on the island of Pico contributes to the re-naturalisation of Lagoa do Caiado

May 28, 2025

Recently, the LIFE BEETLES project, coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, welcomed the VaFaPo (Vamos Falar Português - Let's Talk Portuguese) group for a volunteer initiative to plant endemic trees in Lagoa do Caiado, on the island of Pico.

The morning began with a brief presentation of the project's objectives, its nature conservation actions and the target species, with special emphasis on the Ground Beetle (Pseudancomenus aptinoides), an endemic beetle on the island of Pico, classified as a Critically Endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

This group of foreigners living on the island of Pico then took part in planting 480 Short Leafed Junipers (Juniperus brevifolia) in the area surrounding the Lagoa do Caiado.

This intervention is part of action C.3 of the project, the main aim of which is to renaturalise former grazing areas, increasing the habitat available for the Ground Beetle. In the long term, the increase in vegetation cover around the lagoon promotes water retention and infiltration, helping to improve the water supply in the municipality of São Roque in a scenario of increasing vulnerability to climate change.

Find out more about this project coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action at: www.lifebeetlesazores.com