Enjoy the beautiful spring 🙂 Happy Easter!

This month learn about the Great Bustard and the effects of Climate change in the Mediterranean

Helen & Filipa

Rachel Carson, was born on the 27^th of May, 1907, on a family farm in Pennsylvania, USA. From a young age she started to write stories, usually about animals; her favourite subjects were the natural word, particularly the ocean. She published her first book at the age of 10. In 1932, she finished her Master’s Degree in Zoology at the John Hopkins University and in 1934 she abandoned studies to work at the US Bureau of Fisheries, in a temporary position writing educational broadcasts to generate public interest in fish biology in which she was very successful.

In 1936, she became the 2^nd woman employed by the US Bureau of Fisheries for a full time position as a junior aquatic biologist. In 1941 she published her first big book, “Under the Sea-wind” (describing how life was under the sea for 3 different creatures), the bestseller “The Sea Around Us”, in 1951, a biography of the sea, making Rachel a famous author and a full time writer. “The Edge of the Sea”, was published in 1955, about coastal ecosystems. Although her most important book was “Silent Spring”, published in 1962, raising awareness about the consequences of the use of synthetic pesticides like the DDT and how they accumulate on food chains.

Rachel Carson became a social revolutionary about environment issues; her ecological vision, knowledge and research about oceans sustainability lead to an environmental movement, to a national pesticide policy and the ban of DDT and other pesticides.

Notes: The larvae feeds on Buckthorns (Rhamnus sp), and other species like Prunus, Frangula alnus, Crataegus monogyna, Sorbus and Malus. Adults feed on nectar of several herbaceous plants. The major threats are habitat loss.

• Between 21^st and 26^th of March, A Rocha organized a “Pollinators week”, with several activities for schools and community. During this week it was possible to learn about the importance of pollinators and to discover some amazing species!

• “Plastic – Free February”, joined several “A Rochas” around the world to reduce the amount of plastic. Read more here (from A Rocha International)

• Volunteers are back staying at the centre, Cruzinha; March was a busy month! A Rocha received 4 volunteers, and they are working on different projects:
  

  Dasha (right) Roos (left)

  Dasha Stalk, 26 years old, Slovenian, Volunteer ESC (European Solidarity Corps) for 1 year, working on the projects: “Micro-plastics? Big problem” (monitoring the plastics of some local beaches) and “Otters population” (evaluate the otter’s population in Ria de Alvor). Roos Reinartz, 25 years old, Dutch, Master Student of Forest and Nature Conservation at Wageningen University, staying for 2 months, working with Little owls (monitoring the population of Little Owls at Quinta da Rocha, by recording their sounds and location).

  

  Maarten (right) Thijs (left)

  Maarten Laban, 25 years old, Dutch, staying for 8 weeks, student of Professional School (AERES), in Ede, Netherlands, working on a project related to the Environmental Care Systems done in A Rocha Portugal. Thijs Ruijterlinde, Dutch, 18 years old, student of Professional School (AERES) in Ede, Netherlands, working on a project about reducing water consumption for watering plants.

• Spring is the time of flowers; fields are full of colours, some more amazing than others! Different shapes and sizes! Have you seen these beautiful orchids?

Jimson Weed (Datura stramonium, L.)

Clade: Angiosperms

Order: Solanales

Family: Solanaceae

Origin: Central America

Size: up to 2 metres in height

The Jimson Weed or Thorn Apple is an herbaceous annual plant; can grow up to 3 metres in height, forming a bush. The stem is rounded, erect, smooth, pale yellow-green or reddish purple and branched. The leaves are large, wide with irregular teeth at the margin; dark green above and light green underneath. The flowers grow at the axils of the leaves or where the branches fork, they are large creamy or violet with a trumpet shape. The fruits are ovoid capsules covered with spines, when mature it splits into 4 chambers releasing several black seeds. Flowers from June to October.

This species grows in cultivated lands, wastelands, roadsides, and garbage dumps. The origin of this species is unclear but most likely is native to Central America (or south of tropical America), nowadays is naturalized in all warm and temperate areas of the world (Europe, Asia, North America, North Africa and Australia) and in some regions it is considered invasive (E.g Portugal).

The Jimson Weed competes aggressively with other native plants and crops, forming monospecific stands; one single plant can produce thousands of seeds and seeds can remain viable on the soil for more than 40 years. All parts of the plant are toxic, specially the seeds, to humans and cattle.

Notes: The leaves are toxic for the cattle. The fruits of this species are covered with small hooks, it enables them to stick to animal fur and disperse the seeds. The Latin name of the species “Cynoglossum” derives from Greek and means dog’s tongue. This species was introduced in several countries where it is considered invasive, like the USA, Canada and Australia.

7^th, 14^th, 21^st and 28^th April – Cruzinha Birdringing display & Moth Talk (10am to 12 am). Book here

1^st April – April Fool’s Day

13^rd April – Friends Event

15^th April – Good Friday (National holiday)

17^th April – Easter Sunday (Holiday)

25^th of April – Freedom Day, April’s Revolution, Carnation Revolution (National Holiday)

What makes a good Birthday present?

Sustainability, Innovation, Discover!

You can find all of that in the Gift Friendship for the Friends of A Rocha Portugal!!

Drought is a big problem! Is never too often to remind people how we can reduce our water consumption.

• Collect the rain water (use bowls and store it in a sealed recipient, you can use it later for watering your plants)
• In the shower, don’t keep the tap always open (water yourself and turn the tap off while you lather)
• Brushing your teeth (use a glass to flush your mouth, you can save a lot of water like this)
• Make sure your taps don’t drip
• Washing dishes (don’t keep the tap always running, first foam it and then rinse off all together; turn on the washing machine just when it is totally full)
• Washing the car ( don’t use the hose but a bucket)
• Washing fruits and vegetables (use a bowl to wash them and after you can use the water for watering the plants)
• Clean the yard (don’t use water just sweep it)
• Air conditioner (reuse the water which drops from your air conditioner to water plants)

LETS BE GREEN – LETS BE GREEN – LETS BE GREEN

Every year, A Rocha publishes the Ringing report, with the information about the numbers and species caught. In 2021 there were 631 birds caught of 46 different species. Most of the information is collected at our ringing station at Cruzinha, but last year, the A Rocha team also did some ringing in Estômbar. The number of birds over the years is decreasing, this is a global trend and further analysis should be done to confirm these results.

Some of the species caught in 2021, have not been caught for some time, like the Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator), last caught in 2012, the Crested lark (Galerida cristata), in 2008, the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), since 2004, the Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), since 1997 and the Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis), since 2014.

The numbers of our resident birds are decreasing (House Sparrow, Goldfinch and Blue Tit), but the numbers of some migrants or winter birds increased (Garden warbler, Song Thrush and Siskin). See the full report here

Work with fishing communities among Natura 2000 Award finalists

Balearic Shearwater
Photo by Nuno Barros

Until 27 of April, the MedAves Pesca project – Fishermen and seabirds, allies for the sea – is up for votes in the European Natura 2000 Award. The project, in which conservationists from the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) worked closely with fishermen from Peniche to mitigate one of the biggest threats to seabirds, is one of the 21 finalists in this award run by the European Commission. Alongside the vote for the “Citizens Prize”, the project will also be assessed by a jury, in the Marine Conservation category.

Vote:

For this month, I chose a picture of one of the prettiest herons we have in Portugal: the Squacco Heron. I actually have not seen one for a few years now and I have never seen one as well as this occasion.

This picture also illustrates how great a photographic hide a car can be. On that day, I was finishing the wader count with a volunteer and on our way back, as we drove past the fish farm, this heron was standing on the side of the road. We had great views during several minutes and managed to take a few pictures without leaving the car and stressing the bird. It is a species which usually appears in spring in the Algarve.

Text and photo by Guillaume Réthoré

Editor: Filipa Bragança

English proof reading: Helen Rodda

Portuguese proof reading: Lena Soares

Production controller: Helen Rodda

Email: friends.arpt@arocha.org

www.arocha.pt

Thank you for supporting us!
Hope to see you soon!