This project is a partnership between the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds, the Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e do Mar, and the municipality of Povoação (São Miguel – Azores) and it is financed by the European Commission with the LIFE fund. It’s main objective is to protect the natural habitats present in the Special Protection Area (SPA) Pico da Vara/ Ribeira do Guilherme.
This SPA contains the bigger area of natural vegetation existent in the island of São Miguel and one of the biggest in the archipelago, being a suitable area for modelling the future management of The Regional Protected Areas Network. As a result of the insularity and distance from the mainland, the Azores present many species that can only be found in this archipelago (endemic species), that are not even present in the other Macaronesian archipelagos (Madeira, Canarias and Cabo Verde).
It is for this reason that this projects reveals a great importance, because through its actions it will ensure the survival of this unique natural values!