Funding: Volunteer project
Duration: June 2016 - Ongoing
Partners: SPEN – Sociedade Portuguesa de Entomologia, Unidade de Vida Selvagem – Wildlife Research Unit da Universidade de Aveiro, Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas
Communication channels/contacts
The Project
VACALOURA.pt is a 100 per cent volunteer citizen science project whose aim is to contribute to the conservation of Portugal's largest beetle (Lucanus cervus) and the other species of beetles in the Lucanidae family (Lucanus barbarossa, Dorcus parallelipipedus e Platycerus spinifer) at national level, through environmental education and the compilation of data on the distribution and status of their populations.
This project was born out of a partnership between the Associação BioLiving, the Unidade de Vida Selvagem - Wildlife Research Unit of Biology Department of Aveiro University, the Portuguese Society of Entomology (SPEN) and the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), as a result of a shared interest and the combination of each organisation's different skills and areas of activity for the conservation of these species.
The Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus) is an emblematic species with a high iconographic value, due to its unique morphology and size, which make it easy to identify. It is associated with forest habitats, mainly deciduous forests with the presence of large trees, but it can also be found in urban and peri-urban areas, provided they are planted with trees that fulfil the species' ecological requirements.
This species is protected by EU legislation (Annex II of the Habitats Directive and Annex III of the Bern Convention) and is also classified as ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. At the start of the project, this species was classified as ‘Unknown’/'Not Evaluated' in Portugal, indicating the need to obtain more information in order to make a properly substantiated assessment.
To achieve this goal, citizens were called upon to make records of sightings of the species, to adopt a Stag Beetle monitoring route between June and July or even to get more directly involved by becoming a Ambassador of Stag Beetle in Portugal.
Available outputs
On the project's website you will find various products and resources that you can consult and download for free:
- Diagnostic report analysing public perception of the work and importance of NGOs and other civic groups in the environmental and social fields in the project's five partner countries.
- Introductory handbook to mentoring trainees in NGOs to help association leaders with little experience in hosting trainees and/or volunteers.
- Training Course on Green and Social Entrepreneurship and Associative Leadership.
- Handbook about founding and funding NGOs for those who want to know about the first steps to take before setting up an NGO, the founding process, management tips and examples of funding.
- Policy paper that summarises the main results of the project, highlighting and discussing why it is important to change and evolve the policy associated with the third sector at both national and European level.
VACALOURA.pt in numbers
Over the eight years of the project, VACALOURA.pt has directly involved hundreds of people in a wide variety of activities and events:
Testimonials
STRATOS CHATZIGIANNAKIS
"O curso foi esclarecedor em todos os aspectos. A interacção com empreendedores sociais de toda a Europa, bem como as ferramentas e técnicas aprendidas, terão definitivamente impacto nas nossas acções futuras".
MONA FISCHER
‘NGEurope is an excellent way to learn about social entrepreneurship and to start thinking in innovative ways, as well as being more active. In addition, I have met many very inspiring people and gained a sense of connection and solidarity with other European citizens.’
GONÇALO ABREU
"O projecto NGeurope foi uma excelente oportunidade para o meu crescimento pessoal. Não esperava que este curso de formação me desafiasse a deixar a minha zona de conforto e me desse a conhecer tantas realidades diferentes sobre os temas da liderança e do ambiente. Graças a esta experiência aprendi sobre a importância do terceiro sector do desenvolvimento de soluções mais sustentáveis para problemas comunitários a nível local. Além disso, tive a oportunidade de conhecer muitas ONGs, não só no meu país mas também no estrangeiro. Através do programa de imersão do projecto, trabalhei num campo de voluntariado internacional e conheci ainda mais pessoas de diferentes partes do mundo. Esta experiência permitiu-me trabalhar as minhas competências linguísticas, mas sobretudo as minhas capacidades de liderança que aprendi no curso de formação. Obrigado NGeurope pela experiência incrível!"
