Alonso Miguel marks National Park Rangers Day and World Wetlands Day

Feb. 2, 2023

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change, Alonso Miguel, visited the Furnas Monitoring and Research Centre today and met with the Nature Watchers of the island of São Miguel, marking the National Park Rangers Day.

Alonso Miguel underlined “the importance of the work carried out by these professionals”, recognizing their “daily work, in the first line of defence of the environment in each of the islands”.

According to the governor, “the Park Rangers play a key role in monitoring, conserving and protecting nature and biodiversity, as well as in terms of education and environmental awareness in the community”.

The Regional Secretary also highlighted that “the strengthening of the body of Park Rangers in the Region, with the hiring of another 12 staff, as recently announced, will increase its capacity for inspection, monitoring and protection of the important natural heritage” of the Azores.

On the occasion, taking advantage of the symbolism of the date, the Regional Secretary delivered a drone to the Environment and Climate Change Service of the island of São Miguel, recently acquired, which will be available to the body of Park Rangers, having been carried out an inaugural demonstration flight. Alonso Miguel said that "in addition to this, eight more drones were delivered, one for each island, representing an investment of around 62 thousand Euros".

“This equipment will allow for increased efficiency in carrying out inspection and surveillance actions, especially in places of difficult access, also enabling, with precision technology, the collection of high-quality images and videos, capable of generating three-dimensional and orthomosaic models, thus allowing us to monitor the changes that may occur in our natural territory”, said Alonso Miguel.

Also marking the World Wetlands Day, the Secretary highlighted that in the Azores there are “13 wetlands of international importance, which consist of the richest and most productive ecosystems in the world, in terms of biological diversity, with water as a structuring element”.

“The conservation of wetlands is crucial, not only to ensure the balance and viability of ecosystems, but also to face climate change, since they represent important natural reservoirs of water”, added Alonso Miguel.

In this sense, the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change promoted a planting action, of several endemic species with the Park Rangers, on the shore of Lagoa das Furnas, which is one of the Ramsar Sites on the island of São Miguel.

Each participant planted a specimen of endemic or native flora, namely Azorean Heather (Erica azorica), Azorean Viburnum (Viburnum treleasei), Azorean Holly (Ilex azorica), Azorean Cherry (Prunus azorica), Azorean Laurel (Laurus azorica), Short Leafed Juniper (Juniperus brevifolia), African Boxwood (Myrsine retusa), Azorean Buckthorn (Frangula azorica), Azorean Wild Lettuce (Lactuca watsoniana) and Azorean Woodrush (Luzula purpureosplendens).