Preparation of the Impact Tourism Pilot Program for the Conservation of the target Snails in the LIFE SNAILS Project

July 27, 2023

In the last week of June, the team from the associated beneficiary Desafio das Letras (DDL) was on the island of Santa Maria to promote preparatory work under the Impact Tourism Pilot Program, planned under action C.6, for habitat improvement for the target species of the LIFE SNAILS project. The preparation of the program, which is expected to have a first edition in the autumn of this year, involved both meetings with local tourism partners to settle details and timing and the training of volunteers in the field, directed to the techniques and work to be performed.

The field actions, promoted in close collaboration with the Regional Secretariat for Environment and Climate Change (SRAAC) team, took place both in the public intervention area of Pico Alto and in private areas. They involved the application of methods for controlling invasive vegetation, planting endemic trees, and evaluating the performance of the volunteer work.

With a very positive balance, the volunteers concluded the work with effective intervention in 1,250 square meters of public area dominated by Sweet Pittosporum (Pittosporum undulatum) and Kahili Ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum). In private areas, they intervened on around 2 hectares. These works, and others that will follow, will continue to assist the concrete actions to improve and increase the habitat of the project's target species that are being carried out in the field by the SRAAC team and that will be reinforced throughout the year with the recent entry into service of new operational assistants.

Learn more about this project at www.lifesnails.eu.