The LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project manager, Dr. Diana Pereira, participated in the meeting of the Regional Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development (CRADS), promoted by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, where she presented the status of ongoing actions within the project.
This body, which functions as an Advisory Board for LIFE IP AZORES NATURA, constitutes an essential space for sharing, strategic reflection, and gathering contributions, bringing together various associations and entities involved in the Azores archipelago.
During the session, several significant advances were highlighted, including:
- Regional Strategy for the Control of Terrestrial Invasive Alien Species, currently under consultation with relevant entities;
- High number of internal and external capacity-building actions already developed within the project;
- Collection of more than 170 kg of seeds of herbaceous and woody species native to the Azores;
- Improvements to the propagation protocols of target species in the Seed Bank;
- Planting of approximately 59,000 native plants in the intervention areas of DRAAC and SRAAC;
- Continued installation of fences on the islands of Corvo and Pico, essential for the protection and recovery of habitats.
The importance of citizen science in the early detection of new invasive alien species was also reinforced, such as the recent case of Pueraria lobata, as well as the fundamental role of local entities, namely municipalities, in the control of species such as Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana).
The meeting also highlighted the relevance of the continuity of the LIFE programme and the need to mobilize complementary projects through the different funding instruments currently available.
With the financial support of the LIFE Programme of the European Union.
