The Navigator Company planted 50 Monchique Oaks (Quercus canariensis) on his property in “Águas Alves”, in this Algarve municipality. This is a very rare and endangered species of oak, of which there are only about 300 specimens in Portugal.
This action to recover native vegetation was carried out within the scope of the company's biodiversity conservation strategy and «had the support of the Research Center for Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO-InBIO), in the diagnosis of the vegetation found based on ecological and in biogeographic studies on oak forests in the southwest of the country».
The Porto Botanical Garden – Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Porto (MHNC-UP) was another partner and donated the acorns originating in the Monchique area for the reproduction of 50 new plants.
“With seeds obtained from one of the best preserved populations of this species, the 50 new Monchique Oaks will allow an increase in the number of the species in this area of the country, where it is already present”, according to the company.
«Since 2016, The Navigator Company has been carrying out several actions on this forest property, thus contributing to the improvement of the conservation status of natural habitats and native vegetation. The new planting and sowing of Carvalhos-de-Monchique will contribute to the strengthening and preservation of the species, which is located in the southwest of the country, a region that hosts one of its four Iberian populations, together with the ecological conditions favorable to its growth and maintenance." added.
Navigator promises to accompany the evolution of the project to recover this future oak grove, «continuing to collect acorns of this species for germination in the company's nurseries. The specimens produced may, in the future, be used in the operationalization of reforestation plans and the preservation of the genetic heritage of this rare oak species».
The Navigator Company has, in mainland Portugal, around 110 hectares of forest under its management, being «capable of contributing directly to the protection of a total of 000 species of fauna and around 235 species of flora existing in its forests» .
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