World Environment Day

On June 5 is celebrated the World Environment Day. It is an event created by the United Nations to mark positive attitudes and actions of sustainability, protection and preservation of the environment and to warn the people and governments of the need to build a sustainable environment in order to recover from the mistakes made ​​in the past.

World Environment Day was established in 1972 and 5 June was chosen because this is the day that began the debate on the environment in the United Nations.

The issue presented to this year of 2013 will be Think.Eat.Save is a campaign about waste and food loss that encourages us to reduce our foodprint. According to the United Nations and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in all of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, one in seven people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under 5 die every day from hunger.

That is why this campaign will make us think before wasting.

Ribeiro Frio - Balcões

Beginning in Ribeiro Frio, this little tour follows the Levada da Serra do Faial, giving access to the viewpoint of the Balcões.

 This little tour begins and ends in the regional road ER103 in Ribeiro Frio a total length of 3 km (split between 1.5 and 1.5 for one side to another side), with a duration of about 30-45 minutes (each way) . The course is made following the Levada da Ribeira do Faial which feeds the surrounding farmland and a hydraulic station.

 In this path we can see a great diversity of indigenous forest and some exotic species introduced too, so before performing the way it should be borne in mind the following species: Til Vinhático, Loureiro, Folhado, Uveira Serra, Urze vassouras, Urze Molar , Orquidea da Serra (which you can find two different colors), and may also find some wildlife species such as Tentilhão, Lavadeira, Melro Preto, Papinho, the Manta, the fiPombo Trocaz latter two are rarer species but can be spotted with some regularity.

 Upon arriving to the viewpoint will have a breathtaking view of the hydroelectric power plant Faja da Nogueira and will have a great view that in days open can see from the Porto da Cruz to Pico do Ariero.

  It should be some time in the gazebo because it is often flown by Mantas or Francelhos.

(FALCO Tinnunculus canariensis)

(Manta Buteo buteo buteo)

Faial beach

Situated in Ribeira do Faial this beach offers excellent conditions for whom there goes, it has access to an area of catering, showers, first aid and a large sunbathing area.
  For children have a playground area and a small children's pool which is situated in the solarium to provide greater security to those same children.
  For grownups area offers a wide variety of activities, from a karting track a few feet above the beach and also an area with a skating rink and a skateboard park, with other sporting activities.

Geologically this area is greatly appreciated by those who visit it, because it presents a large area prismatic disjunctions.












The Ribeira do Faial, gives the idea of geological activity that happened on the island.

The view of the coastline of the island is stunning, something we can keep forever in our memories.

Parcul NATURAL BUCEGI

Parcul NATURAL BUCEGI

In a presentation about Bucegi Natural Park, we heard about the various monuments and geological monuments, such as Bran Castle and Peles, also speaking on protected species such as the crow and the bear, and also about protected plantsin the area. This park has a total of 32663 hectares, with an altitude ranging between 600 and 2505 meters and has about 3500 species of flora and 3000 of fauna, many of them protected.

Despite various campaigns is amazing the amount of trash that we find in this mountains but that was supposedly left there by tourists. The illegal logging is also a problem, but the trash is the biggest problem because the park rangers have only a  administrative management and Romanian law says that it is the responsibility of the landowner to clean the same, which makes the hard to clean because some land is state and other private.

Note that this is an area classified as Natura2000 space, and is at risk of losing such a classification because of the trash that we find in the mountains. What is a shame because the mountains have a great potential to be used as a natural park and tourism.

The placement of bins is not made but the mountains due to the behavior of bears (subject to talk about later). Hear a project to special bins which was abandoned due to theft of the same, which led the government to withdraw financial support for the placement of bins.

It was talked about environmental education in schools focused Bucharest because large percentage of tourists visiting the mountains come from this major Romanian city, then we should focus on environmental education in these centers is one of the ways of fighting to have a good environmental management, but then comes another problem is that funding for such training. 

 Which I have noticed is that the government currently does very little for the parks, because the training would be mandatory and associated classes in biology, geology, geography and also using posters on environmental behavior in schools and local universities.

 Over the last week we had several presentations and discussions on various environmental issues and about which I will write soon, but I've noticed a lot of negativity on the part of the speakers, as is noted too that the support given either by private or even government are very tiny, which ultimately bring a negativity point of view to these speakers, and without being positive will be very difficult to start up projects.

 Man behavior impact of hiking trails and ski resorts, has been monitored through the vegetation index Bucegi plateau which lies at an altitude of 2000 meters with the highest point at 2505 meters altitude, and there roads hotels up to 2000 meters.

 This has caused the dwarf pine (Pinus mugo) has almost disappeared from this area, since many of them were removed to the opening of the ski slopes at the beginning of sec. XX, which has led to the plateau is being a big target erosion. Since 1947 appears the first chairlift transporting tourists to the plateau to carry ski in the winter and hiking in summer which has also led to a large increase in erosion linear, along the tracks, and increased waste together with hotels and restaurants installed there.

Pico das Pedras - Queimadas

For anyone who is wanting to start in our island tours, one of the small paths / flow is between Pico das Pedras and Queimadas, is located in the municipality of Santana and it takes about one hour to cross.

 I made this little tour in 2012 with my son whit only 5 years old, which worshiped his initiation in trails and taken mainly his lunch of crackers to feed the trout and ducks and swans that go through there , that is even for any child, walking to jump in mud puddles on the path taken in wet hands with running water and feed the animals.
  This is to tell you that this is a small trail that can be done by anyone of any age, very safe and beautiful as it is right in the middle of Laurel and the number of indigenous vegetation is very good and many are even identified either in the park picnic Pico das Pedras, either in the picnic area of Queimadas, both very good places for a little rest before heading home at the end of the day.

The sustainability of these sites lies in its conservation, and we should always try to just leave our footprints on the earth we walk on nothing more than this, as in all patterns of our island have ecopoints for everything we throw away, you want to be respected respected, has said the earliest because with nature is the same.

Pico Ruivo

House of the Pico Ruivo, is one of the most emblematic sights of Madeira as it is the highest point of the island with an altitude of 1862 meters, so the third highest mountain of Portugal, is located in the municipality of Santana and not is so hard as we speak to go there, since access by the Achada Teixeira is very simple and with walking distance about 45 minutes to 1 hour away on the return to peak and 30 minutes to 45 minutes in return.

 Unfortunately, and despite being a short route with rest areas in the middle, if we leave a little of the rail can be seen that the entire area is with some junk in most toilet paper and other undesirable residues left in large part by the visitors of our small island and are often accompanied by mountain guides who also have a responsibility to warn all users of these tracks have a little more civility, civility we learned all this the same way and in the same language, ie education. They should be advised to use the services of the shelter at the end of the rail offered by those who work there every day and there is also to serve accordingly.

 But leaving aside these situations, access is very simple and with excellent access and without leaving any gap so that all people of all ages can perform the always taking into account the physical condition of each and the time it becomes experience on the way.

 Upon arriving at Pico Ruivo will have a 360 ° view on our island and will have the chance to choose various other routes, and the simpler the return by the same trail we used, and some of the other options are going to Pico do Ariero, Nuns Valley, Boaventura or Encumeada.

 I can tell you I've had the pleasure of doing them all and the most beautiful to me is the trail to the Boaventura.

 Enjoy well this weekend to meet the third highest mountain in the country ...... and be dazzled with Laurus forest of altitude.