This week, the Regional Secretary for the Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, Susana Prada, accompanied by the President of the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN), Manuel Filipe, visited the Matur nursery, where they got to see first hand the work being carried out under the REGIS project – Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources in Madeira. A programme designed to create several species, which will later be introduced to help with the recovery of endangered species.
During her visit, Susana Prada highlighted the importance of this initiative in the conservation of genetic resources. “To prevent endangered indigenous and endemic species from becoming extinct, we collect seeds and plant materials to produce plants that are later reintroduced into nature in order to recover habitats and create a more fire resilient forest.”
Further projects within the initiative, include the inventory and monitoring of protected species and the prospecting and harvesting of plant material in the field, including seeds for the Botanical Garden Seed Bank.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
