Today we celebrate the Natura 2000 Network Day, the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world, created in 1992 to ensure the long-term conservation of Europe’s most valuable species and habitats.

In the Azores, the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project, coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, has been directly contributing to this goal through the implementation of conservation actions across Natura 2000 sites. These efforts include the restoration of natural habitats, the control of invasive alien species, the protection of threatened species, and the valorisation of natural heritage.

In the Azores, both on land and at sea, this network plays a fundamental role in safeguarding our biodiversity.

Celebrating this day is also an opportunity to recognise the importance of ongoing fieldwork and collaboration between institutions, technical teams, local communities, and citizens in protecting the biodiversity and ecosystems of the Azores.

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