Tel.: +351256940254
Mail: geral@aroucageopark.pt
Website: http://aroucageopark.pt/pt/
description
AGA – Associação Geoparque Arouca (Arouca Geopark Association) is a private non-profit organization founded in 2008 with the mission of protecting, conserving and disseminating the geological heritage of the Arouca Geopark territory, which has been recognized by UNESCO since November 2015. With this classification, under international commitments, the territory was challenged to implement a sustainable development strategy, based on natural and cultural values and based on scientific, educational and tourist principles. In addition to this UNESCO World Geopark classification, extended to the entire administrative area of the municipality of Arouca, our territory has 47% of its area classified as Natura 2000 Special Conservation Zones (ZEC): Serra da Freita and Arada ZEC, Rio Paiva ZEC and Montemuro ZEC, so all nature conservation measures are crucial in the environmental recovery and/or maintenance strategy, a strategy that is integrated into the desirable sustainable development of the territory.
Call to action
For some years now, Arouca Geopark has been investing in the protection and enhancement of biodiversity, ecosystems and their natural resources, developing various conservation actions, as well as education and environmental awareness actions. Among them are:
- Conservation actions, which include: inventorying and monitoring rare, endemic, locally threatened and endangered species; the promotion of native vegetation for the maintenance and/or recovery of natural areas; the control of invasive alien species and the monitoring of geosites;
- Environmental awareness and education actions, which include: publications (Geosite Route Guide; Guide to discovering biodiversity; Nature Guide | Passadiços do Paiva; Diário da Natureza | Rio Paiva; Diário da Natureza | Serra da Freita, among others) ; thematic workshops; interpreted visits; capacity building and training actions for the various local partners (teachers, operational technicians, interpreter guides, tourist entertainment companies); educational programs and projects, among which the Rios (Con)Vida Project stands out. This project, developed with secondary school students, includes the biological, physical-chemical and bacteriological characterization of 3 sampling points from a river in the territory, with a view to inferring its ecological quality and proposing concrete improvement actions, if necessary.
