Nordeste and Povoação visited by EUROPARC representative

Within the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism application, Nordeste and Povoação where visited, on the 12th and 13th of March, the EUROPARC verifier that accompanies the process, Fernando Correia. With the project’s partners representatives, he visited the “Lands of Priolo”, gathering with the representatives of the different public entities and many business man that have been involved in the application.

The verification started with a meeting in Furnas Monitoring and Investigation Center (CMIF) with the local technician team, in which it was reviewed application process delivered to EUROPARC in January 2012 and some of the doubts were clarified. It was also possible to reunite with the responsible persons of the different partners entities in the process.


After lunch, they visited Faial da Terra (Sanguinho’s village) and Água Retorta, where it was given some information about the actions that are to take place in these villages and are included in the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism Action Plan.


On the second day, the visit began with a meeting in Nordeste’s Town Hall and continued with a tour to this Municipality, with the opportunity to know better the handicraft of the “Folha de Milho” in Salga and Ribeira dos Caldeirões park in Achada. The lunch in Nordeste had the presence of different business man from Nordeste, also involved in the process. After this, they visited the nursery of the Nordeste Forest Service Division. The visit ended with a meeting with the President of Povoação Town Hall and a final gathering with the local technician team to do a final balance of this visit.


The Verifier will elaborate a report to deliver to the EUROPARC panel responsible for the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism accolade attribution. The panel decision will be known in September.


The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism to the “Lands of Priolo” is an application engadged by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and the Sea, to the São Miguel Natural Island Park in the municipalities of Nordeste and povoação, within the Sustainable Laurel Life Project’s, in a partnership between SPEA, DRRF, DRT, Nordeste Municipality and ASDERPR.

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Azorean Blueberry orchard installed in Furnas

We concluded on the last few days the installment of an Azorean Blueberry orchard on the fields provided by the Furnas Monitoring and Investigation Center (CMIF), by the Furnas Lake margins. This orchard is part of one of the Life Laurel Project actions and will be a test area to verify the evolution and possible profitability of the biological production of this endemic specie’s fruits.

This action aims to develop an economic agricultural production alternative for the archipelago, promoting the production diversification and the endemic species valorization, contributing to their conservation.


To complete this action, it 500 plants were used, all produced from Azorean blueberry seeds, selected in the wild. In a second area, more than 700 cuttings were planted and collected in 2009 also on the natural vegetation areas of Serra da Tronqueira.


We will wait eagerly for results of this work and hope that these plants follow-up brings good news…and good fruits!!