They are young, between 10 and 15 years old, and they decided to spend a week of their summer vacation watching the forests in the interior of the municipality of Loulé, to protect them from fires. Ivo, Alda, Ema, Miguel, Carolina and Guilherme belong to Brigade 8 and are against «spending the summer doing nothing».
Cerro da Picavessa. Tor. “From here Brigade 8. I communicate to the base start of the route”.
It is at the sound of the words of the guide Ricardo Guerreiro that the day begins. Quickly, the six young men begin to climb terrain, up the mountain. They all wear the same nightgowns, in a light lilac, which identifies them: they belong to the Youth Forestry Surveillance. Accomplices, they talk about the school, the latest musical innovations, but also about nature.
Far from the mountains, in the office, but with a crucial job for the Youth Forestry Surveillance, Teresa Laginha is responsible for the initiative. Wearing the Civil Protection uniform, he tells how this idea came about. «These Young Forest Surveillances were born from the need to encourage in the younger layers a concern for forests and the interior of the municipality of Loulé, combining this with the pedestrian walk».
The main objective of these surveillances is to “see nothing”. In other words: not find any signs of fire. But if there are signs of fire, explains Teresa, the alert is immediately given to the Operational Relief Coordinating Center, the CDOS, since the Brigades are always in contact with the authorities.
nine years ago On the ground, this initiative has already brought improvements in prevention among populations. «At least, in the places we pass, we feel that people have adopted a more defensive and preventive behavior», concludes, proudly, Teresa Laginha.
Back to the "theatre of operations"
After starting shot from the guide Ricardo and a few steep hundreds of meters up, the first signs of tiredness of the young watchmen begin to appear. For the morning of the journey, around 2 hours of walking are planned.
In the shade of one of the many trees on the Picavessa hill, there is a break to drink water. In the sky, a helicopter appears, which immediately deserves comment: «I bought one for myself», says Ivo, with a sweaty face. Laughter is general.
Ema was one of those who laughed the most. This is the third year that has been part of these Brigades. “The first time I signed up, I did it because of the conviviality and for being a good cause”, confesses the 14-year-old girl. Since then, he has never missed a year and has even convinced friends (and not only) to do the Forest Surveillance week that each Brigade has.
In fact, from this Brigade, only Miguel has no connection with Ema. Ivo, Alda, Carolina are friends and «they came because I invited them and Guilherme is my brother», he says. In these three years, he has never seen a fire. "And thankfully!" he says. But he has already learned something he considers very important: «Civil Protection is all of us. It's not just about protecting civilians».
Already Ivo confesses "to adore everything that involves nature". During the journey, which has since been resumed, he will indicate characteristics of some species that can be found on the Picavessa hill, such as the vulture or the fox. «Although, at the end of the day, I feel tired, it always pays off. I like doing this Brigade week much more than being at home doing nothing», he says.
Among bats, a unique find
From the top of Cerro da Picavessa, the landscape is wide: in the background you can see Quinta da Ombria, resort Top tourist. A little further away is Fonte da Abelheira, a place where you can share space with bees without risking being stung. Further down is the village of Tôr, from which the Church's bell tower can be seen.
Still, the great find at that spot is right around the corner, amidst many brambles and stones. In one of the first brigades he led, Ricardo Guerreiro decided to explore the area… and found a cave. “Few people know of the existence of this. Not even in the maps of the authorities this cave is referenced», he says.
Upon entering, the amazement is general. "It's so cute!" In the cave, there are bats that become the main attraction of young watchers. Miguel is one of the most euphoric.
At the age of 10, this young vigilante got to know the Youth Forestry Surveillance through the scouts, of which he is a part. “Little did I know, I wanted to come right away. I really like to walk around», he says, between smiles. His passion for nature is genetic: «my father belongs to Associação Almargem and I already know all these paths. I always accompany him on his walks», he explains.
Like Ema, Miguel has already wanted to convince friends to make the week of surveillance that each Brigade has, but the answer was always the same: «they don't want to come because they think it's too tiring», he says. Despite his young age, Miguel is certain: the profession he wants to pursue will be related to nature. “I want to be an oceanographer!”, he confesses with conviction.
Since always, the helmsman
Ricardo Guerreiro has been the guide of the Youth Forestry Surveillance for nine years. From Monday to Friday, from July to August, he spends his days in the mountains of the municipality of Loulé. “This is my great passion. Not everyone sacrifices themselves to walk almost 10 kilometers a day if they don't really like it», he says. And he adds: «Repeating the routes every week with different Brigades, for me, is no problem».
Now at the front, now at the rear of the young watchmen, Ricardo never fails to pay attention to his pupils. The end of the route for the morning, he warns, is near.
Over the years, the guide has collected stories of those paths. «There were people who came here, to Cerro da Picavessa, to steal carob. I even caught them in the act. Since they began to realize that we were passing here, they stopped coming to steal», he says, between laughs.
Almost celebrating a decade of existence, the Youth Forestry Surveillance, promoted by the Loulé Chamber Civil Protection Services, has been «a success», says Ricardo Guerreiro. «We always have full weeks. In two days, three at the most, all Brigades are filled. If we had more days and more vacancies, they would fill up faster», he confesses.
From one hill to another: the end of the route
It is under the scorching heat that the morning part of the young watchers' journey ends. If the beginning had been at Cerro da Picavessa, the end is at another Cerro, Covas. The faces are tired, but the energy doesn't end.
From Cerro das Covas to Igreja da Tôr, the distance is short and it is there that the young watchers will walk to rest before lunch, which will be served in a home in the village of Tôr. Upon arrival, they rush to get the water out of their backpacks.
Sitting with the young watchmen, Ricardo looks at everyone with tenderness. «During the week that each Brigade has, I always try to be one of them. I can't be here without having an attitude of putting myself in their role," he says.
Moved and with a smile on his face, he concluded: «these kids make an impressive impression on me».
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