The main benefits forests provide to Humanity do not remain in their place of origin. By positively affecting the global natural systems, they benefit all of Humanity equitably. So, because we jointly benefit from their services, all forests of the planet are common parts. The Floresta Comum (Common Forest) project is a program of incentives for reforestation with indigenous Portuguese forest. The goal is to promote and encourage the creation of a forest with great biodiversity and high levels of ecological services production, by making available, to the people and institutions willing to intervene, the knowledge and trees necessary. The aim is to involve the community and boost the creation of local structures and networks for the recovery of the Portuguese indigenous forest. Thus being one more contribution of the Earth Condominium to the regulation of the global natural systems for the benefit of all Humanity.
Mission
The Floresta Comum mission is to promote the production, to collect and distribute indigenous trees throughout the country, including the islands of Azores and Madeira, to institutions showing interest, competence and the means necessary to proceed with the plantation and care of indigenous forests.
The Floresta Comum project needs organisations with the professional logistics to:
- collect and organise the distribution of trees;
- establish contracts of tree production;
- provide technical support and advice;
- ensure quality control;
- collect and distribute seeds.
Future — the project of ‘100 000 trees in the Porto Metropolitan Area’ (in portuguese, “100.000 ÁRVORES NA ÁREA METROPOLITANA DO PORTO”)
This is the pilot initiative of tree assignment by the Floresta Comum and Green Cork projects.
The project ‘Future — 100 000 trees in the Porto Metropolitan Area’, is being developed by the Regional Centre of Excellence in Education for the Sustainable Development of the Porto Metropolitan Area (CRE PORTO) and is being coordinated by the Portuguese Catholic University (Porto), by Quercus, by the Porto Metropolitan Area Authorities and by Forestis, where several organisations and citizens have also been participating. The intention is to reforest approximately 100 hectares of burnt or free areas or in need of reconversion, with approximately 100 000 trees of regional species.
The environmental services provided by these new woods include climate and water regulation, erosion control, sediment retention, soil formation, nutrient recycling, prime-matter production, biodiversity and genetic resources protection, recreation and culture. The 100 000 trees will also help in the sequestration of 20 280 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the next 40 years.
Within the project ‘Future — 100 000 trees in the Porto Metropolitan Area’, a training manual has been created: Embaixadores da Floresta (Forest Ambassadors, only available in Portuguese). It is a course to learn about the history of our forests and to identify indigenous species of trees and recognise the environmental, social and economic benefits of forests. The main goal is to induce the participants to recognise the forest as a complex ecosystem and a renewable natural resource, making them active in the protection and promotion of the indigenous woods of the Porto Metropolitan Area.
For areas of intervention, how to join, training manuals and other information, please visit: http://embaixadadafloresta.blogspot.com (only available in Portuguese)
