The São Miguel Environment and Climate Action Service organised an environmental volunteer action in the Sete Cidades Protected Landscape Area in the Lagoa do Carvão zone. The initiative involved the removal of the invasive species Chilean Rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria) and the planting of Azorean St. John’s Wort (Hypericum foliosum), along with the sowing of Scotch Heather (Calluna vulgaris), intending to promote ecological recovery and the preservation of local biodiversity.

A group of volunteers from the International School of Zug and Lucern in Switzerland took part in this initiative. The group of 20 students, two teachers and one guide contributed to nature conservation and the recovery of natural habitats in this protected area.

Initiatives like this are part of Action E5 of the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project – Volunteer Programme – and are fundamental to ensuring the Azores’ environmental sustainability, involving the local community and international visitors in a joint effort to preserve local ecosystems.