In May, took place the Invasive Species Week 2023 initiative, promoted by the Portuguese Network for the Study and Management of Invasive Species – InvECO Network, the INVASORAS.PT platform, the LIFE STOP Cortaderia and LIFE INVASAQUA projects and the Invasiones Biólogicas Specialist Group.

Thus, the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project, coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change, as in previous years, joined this initiative with three activities on Terceira and São Miguel islands. These activities had the participation of students from vocational schools, namely two classes of the Escola Profissional da Praia da Vitória, on the island of Terceira, and a class of the Escola Profissional da Ribeira Grande, on the island of São Miguel.

A total of 66 people participated in this initiative, removing large amounts of invasive alien species from the project’s intervention areas during the respective activities.

These initiatives are part of Action E5 – Public Involvement and Volunteering Program of the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project and count on the participation of volunteers to collaborate in the project’s conservation actions.

Invasive species are one of the main threats to biodiversity and the conservation status of endemic populations, causing environmental and socio-economic impacts.