Regional Directorate for Forest Resources and Spatial Planning promotes the LIFE IP CLIMAZ Itinerant Exhibition

May 11, 2026

Atlantic islands in general, and ours in particular, are highly fragile territories, vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events, resulting in environmental and socio‑economic impacts of great magnitude across many aspects of our daily lives.

Within this context, the LIFE IP CLIMAZ Project, led by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, and in which the Regional Directorate for Forest Resources and Spatial Planning (DRRFOT) is an active partner, has established itself as a highly relevant local instrument for capacity building, knowledge production, and the implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation practices.

On Terceira Island, the intervention of the Regional Directorate for Forest Resources and Spatial Planning, through the local Forestry Service, includes the conversion of 10 hectares of common pastureland into non‑productive forest areas planted with native Azorean forest species, as well as the reconversion of 18 hectares of forest areas dominated by invasive species into areas planted with species from the natural forest of the Azores.

Given that these native forest species are recognized as excellent carbon sinks, this intervention provides a very effective contribution to increasing carbon (CO₂) sequestration areas and thus helping to mitigate the effects of climate change on this and the remaining islands.

Guided by this spirit, on 21 March, World Tree and Forest Day, the population was invited to come into the natural forest environment, in the Maúnto area, and participate in a volunteer action for the planting of endemic forest species—open to the general public in the morning and dedicated to the scouting movement in the afternoon.

Despite the very harsh weather conditions at the time—the wind blew relentlessly, the cold seemed to freeze the soul, and the rain stubbornly refused to leave a single piece of clothing dry—almost no one left. Evoking the resilience of these forests, it was time to get to work, as there was still much to plant.

And so it was. This action, jointly organized with Quercus, and marked by the strong participation of CTT and the scouting movement, brought together more than 300 participants. Within the scope of the two LIFE IP CLIMAZ project actions, approximately 1,500 plants were planted.

At the end of the day, there was a shared certainty that each plant placed in the ground represented more than an environmental gesture. It symbolized a collective commitment to the future of Terceira Island and to the generations who will live there.

With the financial support of the LIFE Programme of the European Union.