Planting woody species in Mistério da Prainha on the island of Pico

Sept. 19, 2023

As part of action C4.1 “Good practices for the conservation of terrestrial habitats” of the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project, a team from the Pico Environment and Climate Change Service (SAAC do Pico) began planting 400 specimens of Azorean Heather (Erica azorica), 1,000 of Azorean Blueberry (Vaccinium cylindraceum) and 880 of Azorean Viburnum (Viburnum treleasei) last week in the Mistério da Prainha intervention area.

The seeds used in this action were collected in the intervention area by the Park Rankers of Pico and propagated by the island’s Forestry Services. In order to protect these plants, the planting area at Mistério da Prainha was fenced off in February of this year to prevent access by livestock. Individual protectors, made of wood fibre and biodegradable, were also placed on the plants as rabbits are regularly spotted in the area.

In addition, 100 specimens of each species have been marked with individual identifiers so that SAAC Pico can monitor the survival and growth of the plants. From now on, regular maintenance of this plantation will also be ensured.

Find out more about this project, coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change, at www.lifeazoresnatura.eu/en/.