30 nest boxes designed to promote the fixation of more birds in urban areas and promote the biological control of pests were installed in Albufeira, within the scope of the “Local Housing for Birds” project, one of the winning initiatives of the Participatory Budget Portugal (OPP) 2018 .
These small structures were installed «in Urbanização do Surfal, on the track in Crosse das Açoteias, in the municipal facilities of Páteo, in the water tank of Páteo and in Parque Urbano do Ribeiro, at the main entrance to the city».
The idea is that they will serve as a nest for titmice, hoopoes, black starlings, kestrels, owls and barren owls, among other species.
The installation of these nest boxes in Albufeira is the result of a partnership between the City Council and the Algarve association Vita Nativa – Environmental Conservation, which presented the project to the OPP.
«In addition to the placement and monitoring of the nests, the project includes awareness-raising actions in schools and the placement of information panels», according to the Municipality of Albufeira.
José Carlos Rolo, Mayor, considers “it is essential that measures be taken to enhance the natural heritage and encourage the participation of citizens in the defense of the environmental heritage”, to ensure the preservation of habitats and biodiversity in the municipality.
For the Albufeirense mayor, "birds can play an important role in the control of biological pests, contributing naturally to the balance of ecosystems."
This partnership will also enrich the Municipality's Plan of Environmental Education Activities, «of extreme importance in terms of raising awareness among the general public and the school population, and an excellent incentive for the fixation of other birds», adds José Carlos Rolo .
The protocol signed by the municipality and association in February, valid for two years, «implies, on the part of Vita Nativa, the installation and maintenance of 30 nest boxes, monitoring the nests, ringing the birds, providing technical information for placement in informative bulletins and the carrying out of at least one environmental awareness activity, in partnership with the Municipality's technicians».
In addition to this initiative, the municipality also embraced, at the end of 2013, the “Chapim” project, «with a view to biologically controlling the pine caterpillar. Within the scope of this project, 63 more titmouse nests are placed in the municipality, 10 in the Hotel EPIC Sana and 7 in various schools (ATL in Vale Pedras, EB1 dos Brejos, EB1 dos Caliços, EB1 in Avenida do Ténis, EB1 das Sesmarias and EB2,3 D. Martim Fernandes)».
“Environmental awareness is fundamental to adopting or changing behaviors, hence the importance of carrying out awareness-raising actions in schools. Within the scope of the “Chapim” project, every year, at the beginning of the school year, the municipality's technicians carry out actions aimed at transmitting various curiosities about the titmice and its importance in the control of the pine caterpillar. Participating students receive an informative field notebook, where, in addition to recording the observations of the nest, they can obtain information about the most common species of titmouse in Portugal, as well as learn how to build their own nest and feeding troughs», concluded the Chamber of Albufeira.
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