Open Day - Castro Verde

The morning was dedicated to children; two 4th-grade classes from the Castro Verde school district joined project staff to learn about the challenges birds face, the threats they encounter when coming into contact with power lines, and what we are doing to mitigate that threat. More than 30 children participated in an activity designed to raise their awareness through a simulation of power line monitoring. The challenge was to walk along the ground beneath a power line, looking for signs of birds that had been struck by the line and/or electrocuted, and then try to identify the different species found. At the end, they helped decorate a nest box that will serve as a home for European Roller, one of the project’s target species.

In the afternoon, a group of stakeholders was brought together to learn about LIFE PowerLines4Birds project and the conservation measures being implemented nationwide—particularly in Castro Verde—to make power lines safer for birds. We were also able to showcase the new module of the E-REDES app, which allows users to report incidents involving birds on power lines, as well as screen a video featuring striking footage that illustrates the challenges these birds face and what we are doing to protect them.