Public participation in the project has been surprisingly positive. Around 1,900 participation records (800 individual volunteers) were registered in tree planting and caring (160 hours) and 76 people made a long term commitment to give 40 hours per year to these activities 33 By June 2011, after several meeting rounds, the project was able to bring together the basic resources needed for the startup phase: (1) eight planting areas (public and private; in mountain, urban, and riverside areas) totaling around 40 hectares, (2) human resources for planting and management (these forest management teams resulted from the cooperation between landowners associations, the central government and municipalities), (3) indigenous tree seedlings (from state nurseries, through a partnership with a non-governmental organisation), and (4) a growing goodwill movement to help with planting and management (NGO, schools, companies and organisations with social responsibility departments). Two citizen enrolment programmes were created: a training programme (Forest Ambassadors) and a stewardship programme (Forest Curators). The training package was collaboratively developed and implemented by researchers and experts of the RCE Porto partner organisations. Forest Ambassadors is a 16 hour programme that imparts a broad forest insight: characteristics, history, biology and ecology, management, and economic, social and environmental impacts on society. It is composed by theoretical and practical study units and focuses on providing people with sensorial experiences (for example taste workshops with forest products like honey, teas, berries, chestnuts, etc.). The stewardship package invites residents from the region to donate 40 volunteer work hours to the forest, planting and caring for trees in one or several of the areas under the 100,000 trees project intervention. It was promoted exclusively over the web, through the network previously created by RCE Porto. The main implementation phase of the 100,000 trees project started in September (training) and October 2011 (planting). Outcomes and Evaluation From October 2011 to February 2012, which is the suitable planting period at this latitude, 11,140 native trees were planted in six areas within the metropolitan area. The area under intervention in 2011/2012 was approximately 24 hectares. The planting goal for this period was achieved at 74% (as a consequence of the dry climatic conditions observed during this winter time, the 15,000 tree target could not be reached). After the interventions, these new woodland areas accommodate more than 20 species of native trees and shrubs: Quercus robur, Castanea sativa, Crataegus monogyna, Corylus avellana, Arbutus unedo, Acer monspessulanum, Betula celtiberica, Ulmus minor, Ilex aquifolium, Fraxinus sp., Alnus glutinosa, Sambucus nigra, Laurus nobilis, Prunus lusitânica, Quercus suber, Pinus pinea and Viburnum tinus. The selection of the exact species considered the ecological characteristics of each area. The tree survival rate in the areas examined during May 2012 was more than 95%. The environmental results have not been quantified but it is expected that biodiversity, the soil’s biocapacity and water regulation improve and that about 125 tonnes of carbon dioxide are stored per hectare planted per year (annual average for a 40 year period). The trees planted are very young, with lengths ranging from 10 cm to 50 cm, and the expected results can only be measured over the next decades. From the social capital perspective (civic engagement and social connectedness) several outcomes are to be highlighted. As a consequence of the collaborative design, 2
Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
To see the actual publication please follow the link above