Its time we all stepped up! In recent news we have heard that, after many years of campaigning, the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) may classify Lagoa dos Salgados as a Natural Reserve - BUT it's not yet a done deal!
The decision has to go to public consultation before anything’s approved – and that’s where YOU come in.
It’s an on-line consultation, open for 42 days only starting on the 9th December 2021, and anyone can make a comment, yes, anyone from anywhere, so I urge you, please, to do your bit.
Just 5 minutes and you become a Superhero, cape, mask, winged boots, the lot.
Make your voice heard; it’s easy.
Please go to www.participa.pt, say “No” to more unwanted development and help us save a little bit of nature for everyone.
The website is all in Portuguese obviously, and it can be a little daunting, so here’s step-by-step instructions that make it easy-peasy to make your voice heard. It looks difficult but it is really easy if you follow these steps:
- Go to www.participa.pt
- Click on “Registo” in the top right hand corner.
- Click “Individual”
- Fill in your name, (where it says “Nome”), your email address, choose a password, (minimum 12 characters but no need for capital letters, numbers or special characters), confirm your password and choose “Silves” in the following box named “Concelho”.
- Go to bottom left corner and check the box that starts ‘Concordo…’
- No need to fill in anything else on that page; just click “Submeter” in the bottom right corner.
- Close down the page – you’ll open it again in a minute, but close it for the time being.
- The Portal Participa site will send you an email straight away, titled "Ativação de registo no Portal Participa" . Open it and click on the highlighted ‘Ativação de Registo’ link.
- This’ll open up www.participa.pt again.
- Now “Login”, and then close that page using the X at the top right.
- In the search box enter “Salgados” and hit the magnifying glass.
- Click on the big ICNF logo.
- Scroll down and click “Participar” on the left hand side below the text.
- Choose “Outro” from the Tipo de participante section.
- In the following option choose both boxes .
- Choose “Outro” in the Tipo de participação section.
- Now it is ESSENTIAL that you write something otherwise the next option doesn’t open.
- Click just below the word “Participação” and a box’ll open up in which you can write how much you value Salgados, how it’s wonderful that Portugal is looking towards the future and has its eyes on more than short-term profit for big business, how having natural spaces is so necessary nowadays and how pleased you are that this is now being valued by Portugal’s politicians for both Portugal’s citizens and its visitors etc etc
- Now click on “Submeter” at the bottom of the page – NOT “Submeter anexo”.
- YOU HAVE NOW EARNED YOUR SUPERHERO BADGE!!
You will receive a second email from Portal Participa confirming your submission.
Oh, and why not sign the petition as well? It’s still open and the more the merrier! SIGN HERE.
CLICK HERE to read all about how the 400 hectares of productive wetland and scrub, squeezed on all sides by high-rises, one of the last untouched pieces of original Algarvean countryside along the southern coast of Portugal, has become the 2nd largest environmental petition in Portugal’s history.
