My first day as biologist!!

On Tuesday evening we enjoyed a spectacular opportunity among the citizens of Corvo. SPEA held third public meeting about our project where were announced the actions had been carried out in collaboration with farmers to test rodents eradication procedures. Early results showed the effectiveness of the methodology, however, must be administered by specialized operators. Taking advantage of this event, we gave back to Corvo's children their field books and show them a video of the activity carried out last saturday. We could easily note the great joy of the young guys. The meeting was also attended by the European Commission which had been visiting the village and the project over the last days.

The peddy paper was a great success!!

One week ago, we organize a Peddy paper with the youth of Corvo. We show them how is the daily work of the team.
Children and technicians enjoyed the activities in each point, such as: using GPS to recover wax blocks used to track rodents, identification of endemic, native and exotic plants that are growing on Corvo, and visit a Cory's shearwater colony, among other things...
This week we will post a little video with such activities.
Don't miss it!!!

We found the first Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus)

Manx shearwater is one of seabird breeding in Corvo Island and, as happens with the Cory's shearwater, when inexperienced chicks leave the nest some of them fall down on streets due desorientation by public lighting.

Two weeks ago, we found the first Manx in "Vila do Corvo". In the morning, we ringed and weighed it, measured the length of the wing and collected a blood sample for genetic study. Later, we released it in the Biological Reserve of Corvo, into a Manx artificial nest to meet a new potential area for nesting. After a few minutes the bird left the nest and took his way to sea.

Hope it returns to artificial nest area for his first nesting season!!

Finally, we found Azorean Blueberry!!!

Today, Julia, the volunteer of the project went to Corvo Crater to seek for the Azorean Blueberry.
The Azorean Blueberry is an endemic plant almost extinct in Corvo. Many other plants that aren't from the island, such as Hortensia (very present throughout the archipelago), are decreasing the area of distribution of endemic species that needs especific characteristics to growth.


It was surprise!! Inside small streams we found several plants. Many of them with mature fruits and many others almost mature, which will be caught in mid September.

Collecting the fruit of this plant, characteristic for it's sweet and a dark Blueberry, will be a great help to increase the diversity in the biological reserve of the project. In this reserve will be planted Azorean Blueberry, Heather, Azorean Ceader, the Hollytree and Buckthorn bush.