For years the Algarve has faced challenges like drought, dwindling fertility of soils, erosion, and a decrease of biodiversity in ecosystems. How may individuals or small groups of people contribute to improve the situation? For example by planting native trees or even tiny forests working together with experts in the field of ecology, dry gardening and environmental management!

On 27 July 2023 Silves Rotary Club invited Sónia Soares to their first meeting of the Rotary year to speak to members and guests. Sónia, a biologist with a master’s degree in ecology and environmental management and a nature lover, is the face of the project FlorestaNativa and oversees the plantation of small Miyawaki forests in the Algarve.

30 Rotarians and interested guests listened to her talk about the Miyawaki method and it’s application all over our planet. Our forests clean and cool the air, add oxygen, clean and store water and resist desertification. Akira Miyawaki from Japan has developed a particular approach to afforestation which supports what nature does without human intervention. The resulting forest consists of different layers of native plants: trees, shrubs and ground-covering herbs.

Sónia’s enthusiastic lecture was well received by the audience and many questions were asked in a lively discussion. Currently, our planet is rapidly losing its forests. But there is hope if we take action.

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

The event took place in a former chapel which once belonged to the Convent of Carmelites Calçados d'Alagoa, founded in 1551 and today is part of the restaurant of Convent’bio at the gates of Lagoa.

For the Rotary Club of Silves the meeting was the start of a new focus on environmental projects and will be followed by more activities in the future.