Happy holidays and a Happy Year of 2013

SPEA Azores and the Life Sustainable Laurel Forest Project, in this festive hollydays, wish all the  collaborators, partners and to everyone that somehow participated in our activities throughout the year of 2012, a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous Year of 2013.

“One Forest, One Future” in exposition in the restaurant Cantinho do Churrasco

It is displayed in the Restaurant Cantinho do churrasco, next to the Pontoon in Povoação, since the 12th of November, the exposition “One Forest, One Future” in the scope of Life Sustainable Laurel Forest Project.

With this exposition it is intended to raise awareness about some of the species of plants that are part of the natural forest of the Azores, the Laurel Forest and the Priolo, endemic bird of the AZores that can only be found in the SPA Pico da Vara/Ribeira do Guillerme, in the municipalities of Nordeste and Povoação.

This exposition has visited all the municipalities of São Miguel island, being many times requested by the schools and educational institutions for didactic activities on this habitat. This partnership with Cantinho do Churrasco takes advantage of the excellent conditions of this establishment, either on the localization level or the space level, thus to show to everyone that passes by some of the natural values of municipality of Povoação, in a different environment.

We want to thank the owners of the restaurant Cantinho do Churrasco for the chance to spread the Laurel Forest, the Priolo and its importance.

To everyone that hasn't yet had the chance to visit this exposition, this will continue in exposition in the comming days, in accordance with the schedule of this establishment.

Come visit the village of Povoação and learn a little bit more about the Priolo and its habitat, the Laurel Forest.

Vandalism in the protected area of Graminhais

The intervention area of the Life Sustainable Laurel Forest in Planalto dos Graminhais was, once again, vandalised. vandalizada.

This protected area possesses a unique natural habitat in Azores, the peatbogs. Although the Life Sustainable Laurel Forest pProject team did a fence to try to prevent this type of situations, once again our team found indication of the entrance of motorcycles in this area.

This forced entrance in a protected area, such as Planalto dos Graminhais, not only caused damages on the fence, as well as in the peatbogs.

Life Sustainable Laurel Forest presents its resultes in a national Seminary

The Life Sustainable Laurel Forest project, coordinated by SPEA in partnership with the Regional Secretariat of the Environment and the Sea and with the City Council of Povoação, presented part of the work carried through in Serra  da Tronqueira and Planalto dos Graminhais in the seminary “Conservation of Habitats authochthonous and control of invading exotic species” that was held until last sunday in Luso, Mealhada.

This seminary organized by the Mata do Buçado Foundation (FMB), in the scope of the LIFE BRIGHT, had as objective to commemorate the Authochthonous Forest Day and joined representatives of some of the main projects for the natural recovery of habitats and control of vegetal species of exotic invaders taking place in the Portuguese territory.

Joaquim Teodósio, the LIFE coordinator, presented two sources of the work done. In the first day a boarding on the different functions that the greenhouse plays, where, besides the production of plants for the recovery of the habitats, if it approached the component of spreading and support to the schools (mainly of the EBS of Povoação), volunteering and the tourism and the economic and landscape value of the species from the original forest of the Azores.

On the second day, it was presented the work carried through since 2003 in the recovery of the natural habitats of Serra da Tronqueira and Planalto dos Graminhais, namely the Laurel Foresta and the peatbogs. This work has passed through an extended control of diverse exotic invading flora species. The good results and the dimension of the work with about 350 ha of habitats recovered were the two factors highlited by some of the participants of this seminary.

Throughout the Seminary it were presented results from other works carried through in Portugal, aiming the control of invading vegetal species as the Acacia Wood and the sugar cane that threaten many of the natural forest areas of Portugal. The FMB also presented the work of LIFE Bright Project, taking place in Mata do Buçado for recovery of the Adernal, an old and rare forest, threatened by the proliferation of Acacia's wood and the Australian Cheesewood. It was also possible to visit some of the interventioned areas of this project.

From the part of the LIFE Sustainable Laurel Forest we are greatful for the invitation and shelter on the part of the FMB, as well as the congratulations for this excellent initiative.

To know more about this seminary and the subjects treated visit HERE.

SPEA celebrates the Authochthonous Forest Day with three schools of São Miguel island

In the scope of the celebrations of the Authochthonous Forest  Day, day 23 of November, SPEA, through the Life Sustainable Laurel Forest Project and of the Priolo's Environmental Center (CAP), organized three activities with the Basic and Secundary School of Nordeste and Povoação and the school Antero de Quental in Ponta Delgada.

On November 21st the SPEA technicians were in Basic and Secondary School of Nordeste to do the activity “The Discovery of the Laurel Forest”. This activity counted with the participation of 22 students, which had the chance to visit the Pelado viewpoint, in Nordeste and CAP, to be able to see diverse types of vegetation, specially the original Azorian forest, the Laurel Forest.

On the november 22nd, the Life Sustainable Laurel Forest technicians were with 15 students of Povoação to make a native species plantation. This plantation took place in the Basic School of Lomba do Pomar where these students had the chance of planting, in the school garden, 38 plants, between Picconia, Azorean Holly, Buckthorn, Cape Myrtle, Azorian Heather and Azores Harebell.

In the following day, the 23rd, the LIFE+ technicians took 7 students from the Basic and Secondary School of Povoação, and 6 teachers, for one of the intervention zones of the Life Sustainable Laurel Forest Project, the Labaçal in Serra da Tronqueira. They planted 323 plants with only 7 enthusiastic students and their teachers in a space of little more than a hour and a half. The planted species were the Laurel, the Buckthorn and the Picconia. To end this activity they visites project's greenhouse in Lomba do Loução.

On the same day, the CAP technicians went to the school Antero de Quental in Ponta Delgada, where they carried through a lecture with about 100 students to speak about the Priolo, the forest and the threats that he faces currently. After this lecture, during the afternoon, they carried through a plantation of native plants, among which Picconia, Azorean Holly, Azorean Heather, Cape Myrtle, Azores Harebell, Common Heather and Buckthorn.

We are thankful to the schools, its teachers and especially the students for the demonstrated enthusiasm and interest in these activities. 

Next year there's more!

Collecting seeds in Pico Bartolomeu with many participants

It took place last Saturday, November 10, in Pico Bartolomeu, another activity of collecting seeds. This activity was organized by SPEA within the activities of the Priolo's Environmental Center and the Sustainable Laurel Life Project, and was attended by 25 participants, who gathered throughout the morning seeds for the production of native and endemic plants in the greenhouse of the Laurel Life Project.

Collecting seeds is extremely important to the recovery of the Laurel Forest. The project's greenhouse produces native and endemic plants which are then planted in the intervention areas for the removal of invasive alien species in the SPA Pico da Vara / Ribeira do Guilherme, and this is only possible with the annual collection of seeds of various species of the flora of the Azores that will be treated and then planted to germinate.

On Saturday morning, the 25 participants, including a group of Scouts Explorers group 720 of Nordeste and a group of seven friends, that after meeting in the Priolo's Environmental Center, in Forest Park of Cancela do Cinzeiro, went to Pico Bartolomeu, where with the help of the SPEA technicians could collect seeds of native plants that are found there.

The last stop was in the greenhouse project, located on the main road of Lomba do Loução , Povoação, where all participants were able to see firsthand the results of seed last year and got to know a little more about running a nursery and the work required for the plants to grow strong!

Thanks to everyone for participating!

More bird species registered in Graminhais

The Sustainable Laurel Life Project has developed various recovery actions in the peat bogs plateau of Graminhais. In last September, the larger scale work started in the summer of 2011, was finished. These works included, among others, dike construction and the closure of the drainage ditches to recover the water level in that area.

With the beggining of the autumn and the rain that have occurred, we can already see a significant water levea in the dikes of Graminhais. The various ponds constructed to hold water in this wetland, also enable a suitable habitat for many migratory species that pass through the Azores.

Snow Bunting  (Plectrophenax nivalis)

On 7 November, the SPEA team was in Graminhais to do monitorization and managed to observe several individuals of two species of migratory birds:

6 Snow Bunting  (Plectrophenax nivalis)
12 Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca)

Some of the resident birds that can be observed at the site are:


Azores Bullfinch (Pyrrhula murina)
Atlantic canary (Serinus canaria)
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
Azores Blackbird (Turdus merula azorensis)
Azores Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs moreletti)
Azores Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla atlantis)
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea patriciae)


The Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) and the common-Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) apparently had an increase in the Graminhais plateau, possibly reflecting the work done by the Sustainable Laurel Life Project and the fact that the hunting was banned in this area.

Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca)

External auditor visited the Life Sustainable Laurel Forest Project

This week, from the 22nd to the 24th of October, the Life Sustainable Laurel Forest Project was visited by João Salgado, the representative of the external monitoring team from the LIFE program in Portugal. This visit was to see, firsthand, all the work that has been developed for this project in SPA Pico da Vara / Ribeira do Guilherme and the Planalto dos Graminhais.

João Salgado, along with the project team, was on Monday morning at the Planalto dos Graminhais, and had the opportunity to see a soggier peatbog the result of work started in 2011 and finished this year. A little throughout the area it was possible to see the tufts in its entire splendor, even in areas with greater intervention! He also had the opportunity to see and try the new access rail to Pico da Vara, which goes through an important natural habitat!

Besides this visit to Graminhais, the Life Sustainable Laurel Forest Project  team took João Salgado to some of the intervened areas in the project, such as Labaçal in Tronqueira, where it was possible to see the results with the control of exotic plants and the recovery of Laurel Forest in the site.

The visit also took place in the Malhada, one of the areas in higher altitude, with work still ongoing, and the Mata dos Bispos, an area where we only recently started the intervention and being, in all areas intervened for the project, the one that has the more typical low / medium altitude Laurel Forest.

In addition to the areas of intervention, João Salgado visited the orchard of Azores Blueberry in Furnas and the project’s Greenhouse in the Lomba do Loução, who produce all native plants that are planted in the intervention areas.

This annual visit results in a report to the LIFE European Commission's Unit that will allow them to realize the project's progress and all actions undertaken so far, at a crucial time as it is near its end.

The "Lands of Priolo" CETS Award on the Birdlife and the LIFE + website

The Azores saw valued the tourist offer for those seeking nature and quality services in the Lands of Priolo, covering the Municipalities of Nordeste and Povoação. The Executive Council of the Federation EUROPARC awarded the prize of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism candidacy to the "Lands of Priolo."

This is the first award of EUROPARC in the Portuguese island territory and is also one of the great landmarks of Life Sustainable Laurel Forest Project. 

Since this is an important event, Birdlife International published in their official website a report on the award of the prize of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism to "Lands of Priolo," Municipalities of Nordeste and Povoação. The LIFE program also outlined this important event, highlighting this award on their official website.

If you want to read the news on the Birdlife website, visit HERE.

To read the news on the LIFE+ program website, visit HERE.

You can also see the video of the public announcement of the CETS award being given to “Lands of Priolo”, held on September 17 at Monitoring and Research Center of Furnas (CMIF) in the presence of the Regional Director for the Environment, João Bettencourt, the SPEA’s Executive Director, Luis Costa, among other entities and entrepreneurs involved in the process, HERE!

Endemic plantation in Graminhais

On the 20th of October SPEA, through the Priolo’s Environmental Center and under the Life Sustainable Laurel Forest Project, organizes an activity of planting native and endemic in Graminhais. The meeting point will be at Ribeira dos Caldeirões, in Achada of Nordeste, at 9:30am.

This activity has the purpose of giving participants the opportunity to get to know an important and rare habitat in Azores, the peatbogs, and the actions undertaken in this area by Life Sustainable Laurel Forest Project, for their conservation.

Furthermore, this activity also aims to promote native and endemic plants that are part of the Azores natural forest, the Laurel Forest, and that also promotes the restoration of the peatbogs. Participants may assist in planting many of these plants produced in the greenhouse of LIFE.

Participate in this activity and contribute to the preservation of one of the most threatened natural habitats of the Azores, the Peatbogs of the Planalto dos Graminhais.

This activity is free, and the number of vacancies of 12 people but with mandatory registration through the website http://centropriolo.spea.pt