Project MATELA

The project “MATELA – An island of Biodiversity” provides for a set of measures for the conservation and environmental restoration of the Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species of Matela, located on Terceira Island. This project intends to: - Update the state of knowledge of Matela's biodiversity, obtaining new data and comparing them with historical data. - Monitor the status of biodiversity for various biological groups during the lifetime of the project and prepare scheme for the future. - Carry out the environmental restoration of the area. - Apply for a trail to the responsible entities. - Formalize the process of integrating Matela into the Network of Biodiversity Stations, the first station in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. - Create environmental education instruments. - Create a Laboratory for long-term research ("Living Lab"). The project results from a partnership between the Azores Biodiversity Group (GBA-cE3c; promoter and leader of the initiative), the Gaspar Frutuoso Foundation, FP (which will be in charge of financial management); the Municipality of Angra do Heroísmo; the group “Os Montanheiros”; and also the VIRIDIA Association.

The project aims at the conservation and environmental restoration of the Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species of Matela (Terceira Island, Azores).

The Project’s goals are:

1. Update the state of knowledge of the biodiversity of Matela, obtaining new data and comparing them with historical data.

2. Monitor the state of biodiversity for several biological groups throughout the project’s duration prepare a monitoring scheme for the future.

3. Initiate environmental restoration of the area.

4. Apply for a trail, “Roteiro da Biodiversidade da Matela”, to the official entities responsible for footpaths in the Azores.

5. Create a Living Lab for long-term research (“Living Lab Matela”)