News from our Partners: Cascais Natura
Youth volunteering for biodiversity in Cascais
A volunteering program for young people offering several projects related to biodiversity management and environmental monitoring has been launched by the Cascais Natura Environmental Agency. The “NaturaObserva” is operated during the summer and provides students the opportunity to contribute to the protection of biodiversity in the region of Cascais during their faculty holidays.
“NaturaObserva” includes four different projects focuses on diverse activities such as fire forest surveillance, identifying pollution sources and vegetation patches along streams and building a plant nursery for local species.
The first edition of the program has been successful and included more than 70 students. During the program a vast amount of strategic data for biodiversity management was collected and forwarded to the authorities.
Currently, the project is broadened and includes new programs and involves more volunteers
“Green Ideas” Prize awarded to Cascais Natura
Cascais Natura Environmental Agency won the Ideias Verdes prize (“Green Ideas”) for its project “Eco-Hut”, a sustainable building designed for short stays in natural areas. The 50 thousand Euro prize, initiated by two Portuguese economic groups to highlight and praise the uniqueness and importance of this project.
The Eco-Hut made of natural or recycled material in which only renewable energy sources with almost no ecological footprint. Furthermore, the construction follows a bioclimatic strategy that includes the use of cork.
The Eco-Hut is equipped with an energy and water consumption control system: the amount of energy and water available to be spent during a stay is credited onto a card, so that the user will limit his consumption and will pay for the extra usage.
The current Hut model is 60 sq meters which can be altered into different measurements The Agency welcomed the prize that enabled building the first Eco – Hut prototype.
Eco-Hut: sustainable accommodation
The Eco-Hut is a result of a conceptual exercise in search of a structure with minimal ecological footprint. It has been designed in order to provide accommodation in areas which are important and crucial for nature conservation. The project intends to create an experience of educational habitation in which water and energy use is controlled through a credit system with limited amounts available for a given period.
Main features of this equipment are:
- Construction
- Suspended construction
- Recycled, recyclable or natural materials
- Certificate wood
- Modular system
- Thermal efficiency
- Use of cork for insulation
- Heating using biomass
- Natural ventilation
- Use of natural factors of thermal amenity
- Solar-thermal panels
- Energetic efficiency
- Maximizing of natural light
- Energy from renewable sources depending on local conditions
- LED light technology
- Water and sanitary system
- Use of local water resources
- Waste water treatment station and lagooning
- The World Conservation Union