Investments in four of the largest forest nurseries, which produce endemic woody species, located on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira, and Pico, have enabled the reinforcement of greenhouses and shade houses, the implementation of more efficient and autonomous irrigation systems, and an environmental control system.

This investment is considered by the competent authorities to be “a crucial factor for the production of endemic woody species in the Azores,” according to a note sent to our newspaper.

“In order to boost seed collection, around four hectares of orchards of endemic species have already been planted on three islands in the Azores as part of this project, with a total of around 5,000 plants of the most emblematic species of the Azorean endemic forest, namely, wild cherry, wild cedar, laurel, holly, and mountain grape,” the same text states.

Recently, during maintenance work on the orchard of endemic species located in Santo António Nordestinho, in the municipality of Nordeste, “it was found that the orchard planted in May 2023 is already producing holly seeds,” according to the same source. Last September, during a cleaning operation in a wild cherry orchard on the island of Pico, “it was found that the vast majority of plants were already producing seeds, which will be integrated into planting production as early as 2025.”

For the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, “this investment in our endemic species allows for their maintenance, propagation, and guarantees their existence in the Region.”

António Ventura notes that “these species will also be used to populate public spaces, especially public forests, in addition to being made available to private individuals for possible investment projects or simply for planting along watercourses and other areas of high environmental and agricultural sensitivity.”

The LIFE IP Climaz Project, of which the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food is a partner, began in 2021 with a budget of around €20 million and aims to contribute to the implementation of the Regional Program for Climate Action (PRAC). The Regional Directorate for Forest Resources and Land Use Planning (DRRFOT) has a share of €3.6 million.

Saying it is “aware of the need for adaptation and mitigation in the forestry sector in the context of climate change, the DRRFOT has proposed four intervention measures, one of which aims to promote an increase in the capacity of its own nurseries ”to produce all the endemic plants necessary to safeguard the most varied nature conservation projects in the Azores.”

From Correio do Açores and Diário Insular

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.