As part of the monitoring and survey activities of the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project, coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, three new populations of target species have recently been identified on the island of São Miguel, enhancing our understanding of their distribution and contributing to their conservation.

The new records include a population of Azorean Dock (Rumex azoricus) and two of Ivy-leafed Fern (Asplenium hemionitis), both of which are priority species for the project. The population of Azorean Dock was discovered by Professor Luís Silva of the University of the Azores, whilst Guilherme Roxo, a PhD student at the same institution, identified the populations of Ivy-leafed Fern.

The new population of Azorean Dock was recorded in Bretanha, on the coast of São Miguel. The new populations of Ivy-leafed Fern were, in turn, found at Porto Formoso and Lomba da Maia.

These discoveries highlight the importance of ongoing fieldwork and the contribution of the scientific community to the identification and conservation of the Azores’ natural heritage, directly contributing to the objectives of the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project.

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