LPN is an environmental, non governmental association (NGO), non-profit and with a public entity status. It was founded in 1948 and is the oldest environmental NGO in the Iberian Peninsula. With a national scope, its mission is to contribute to nature and biodiversity preservation, the protection of ecosystems through the implementation of conservation and research projects, environmental education and training. With extensive experience in implementing nature LIFE projects, LPN is responsible for the global coordination of LIFE PowerLines4Birds (LIFE21-NAT-PT-PowerLines4Birds/101074478). The project team is based at the Vale Gonçalinho Environmental Education Center (CEAVG), in Castro Verde.
SPEA – Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves is an environmental, non governmental organization dedicated to bird protection and to the conservation of their habitats, promoting a balance between biodiversity and sustainable development.
It is, since 1999, partner in Portugal of the Birdlife International, one of the largest global networks of nature conservation. Over the years, SPEA has stood out in its participation in fundamental monitoring programs, like the Nesting Birds Atlas and the Census of Common Birds, in addition to being part of the IBAs network (Important Bird Areas). The organization also plays a crucial role in the execution of projects within the European Union LIFE project, aimed at preserving priority habitats and some of Europe’s most threatened bird species.
Among its most relevant projects is LIFE Rupis (2015-2020), in partnership with E-REDES, which has been vital to conservation of the Egyptian vulture and the Bonelli’s Eagle. Currently, SPEA is a leader in high impact initiatives, like LIFE Ilhas Barreira (barrier islands) (2018-2024) and LIFE Lx-Aquila (2020-2025), with a special focus on protecting Bonelli’s Eagle in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region.
With an history of more than two decades, SPEA continues to lead efforts in birdlife and ecosystems conservation, contributing for a sustainable and harmonious future between nature and society.
Until January 29th, 2021, E-Redes Distribuição de Eletricidade, S.A. was formally designated EDP Distribuição – Energia S.A.. E-Redes is the Distribution System Operator (DSO) in mainland Portugal and is integrated in the EDP group.
E-Redes is the electrical energy supply concessionaire in a public service regime and has exclusivity in high and medium voltage (HV and MT), granted by the Portuguese Government, and in low voltage (LV), granted by the municipalities.
In mainland Portugal there are 234,000 km of aerial distribution power lines. E-Redes was a pioneer in the approach to power lines and interactions with birds, working in this field for almost two decades. It strives to protect biodiversity related with its business area, working in collaboration with Portuguese NGOs (LPN, SPEA and QUERCUS), and ICNF (Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas), through the cooperation established in CTALEA (Technical Commission of Power Lines and Birds) since 2003. This Commission has contributed to the conservation of several bird species and to the decrease of the threat level from the interaction between power lines and birds. Adapted power lines followed monitoring studies, promoted by E-REDES, allowed understanding the real impact caused by power lines.
Portuguese NGO, founded on October 31st, 1985. Quercus is an independent, national, non-partisan, non-profit association constituted by citizens with the same interest in Nature and Natural Resource Conservation, as well as safeguarding the environment in general, according to a sustainable development.
Quercus has an extensive experience working with nature conservation projects: since 2003, it works together with (former) EDP, ICNF and other NGOs in conservation actions related to illegal poisoning, power lines and wild birds; in monitoring programs (for example, nesting birds atlas, common birds census, vulture feeding program, among other) and in the implementation of important projects under the EU LIFE program for conservation of priority habitats and species and some of Europe's most threatened bird species. Quercus led conservation efforts in some of the project areas with the Cinereous vulture, the Egyptian vulture and the Bonelli’s Eagle (1998-2020), together with ICNF, E-REDES and other interested parties.
Quercus has been an active participant and/or leader in many other projects that include the target areas and species of LIFE PowerLines4Birds.
SEO/BirdLife is a scientific and conservation association dedicated to the study and conservation of birds and nature since its foundation in 1954. Pioneer among Spanish conservation NGO, with more than 50 years of ongoing activity, it is a public interest organization and it has been awarded with National Environment Prizes (1994) and the BBVA Prize for the conservation of biodiversity (2004), among others.
SEO/BirdLife is the representative in Spain of Birdlife International, a federation that brings together associations that deal with bird conservation around the world with representation in more than one hundred countries.
It has been developing several projects and actions to improve the legal framework (it was the main player in lobbying and contributing to the current national legislation regulating the protection of birds due to damages from power lines), as well as to identify, report and demand the correction of dangerous power lines. In addition, SEO/Birdlife belongs to the lobby platform SOS Tendidos, where it works together with other spanish organizations to promote and demand action from public authorities and companies to deal with the issue of bird mortality on power lines.