As part of action C2.1 – Internal Capacity Building, the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project organised basic and advanced chainsaw operator and working at height training courses. The two courses took place simultaneously, with 84 field workers from the coordinating beneficiary, the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change (SRAAC), and one trainee from the project’s associated beneficiary, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA), taking part in the chainsaw safety training; and 40 field workers from SRAAC and SPEA taking part in the working at height/slopes course.

These certified courses, which last 25 and 21 hours, respectively, aim to enable workers to operate chainsaws safely, fell trees in difficult conditions and rescue people from slopes using rope systems. The chainsaw training courses were held on the islands of Flores, Terceira, São Miguel and Pico, while the work at height training course was held on the islands of Terceira, São Miguel and Pico.