Nuno Oliveira, a marine conservation technician at the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA), describes the role of the service managed by the FCT's FCCN Unit, Videocast, in the "Cagarras nas Berlengas | Natureza na Web" project - an initiative that seeks to "promote environmental education and awareness" through uninterrupted live transmission from a nest of this bird species .
How did the possibility of using the Videocast service arise in the context of the "Cagarras nas Berlengas | Natureza na Web" project? And what can you tell us about this project?
The opportunity arose at the invitation of FCCN in 2019, when the revitalization of the "Nature on the Web" program was being planned. "Cagarras nas Berlengas | Natureza na Web" is part of a series of activities developed by SPEA to promote environmental education and awareness - one of the pillars of our mission. In our opinion, a well-informed citizen will be more willing to understand the importance of preserving our natural values. In our case, we focus mainly on birds and their habitats.
What are the main benefits that this initiative offers to the general public?
The main goal of this initiative is to bring to people's homes a reality that, previously, would not be accessible to the common citizen: life inside a seabird's nest. In this case, the shearwaters. Thus, with a minimum of disturbance, people can visit the nest and follow the growth of the offspring or the feeding by the adults. Seabirds, despite being one of the most threatened groups of birds globally, also remains the least known.
"The Videocast is a tool that is here to stay at SPEA and has enormous potential that we intend to continue to explore"
What characteristics of Videocast were ideal for integration into the project? And how do you rate the experience so far?
Including "Cagarras nas Berlengas" in a broader initiative and in partnership with other entities ultimately increases the potential for publicizing our little nest. On the other hand, the costs of maintaining this system, although low, are a significant burden for a non-profit organization with no funding of its own, such as SPEA. In this sense, the support of FCCN has been crucial to maintaining the project in the long term, as it has made it possible to reduce the costs associated with the webstreaming service. This ensures that a virtually unlimited number of users can access the images on the web. The support of FCCN 's technicians has also been total and has made it possible to bring this ship to a successful conclusion.
Are there other similar projects being planned?
The success of "Cagarras nas Berlengas" and the strong acceptance by the public, led us to adopt this type of tools in other projects. We are currently preparing the installation of two similar systems as part of a recent project we are developing in the Ria Formosa Natural Park - Life Barrier Islands. One of the cameras will be broadcasting the activity on a colony of Audouin's gulls, while the other will be on a colony of chilipeds. We expect to have these cameras operational in early spring next year.
Are there any other SPEA initiatives you would like to promote?
I take this opportunity to disclose two initiatives in which SPEA participates and for which we need everyone's support. The first is an initiative led by BirdLife International (of which SPEA is a partner) that calls for the United Nations to declare a healthy natural environment as a fundamental human right, through a petition available at: https://www.spea.pt/campanhas/ambiente-saudavel-um-direito-humano/. The second comes in the wake of the project "Life Berlengas" that, after having finished successfully, was selected as one of the 8 finalist projects of the European Natura 2000 Award. Voting is open and can be carried out here: https://www.spea.pt/life-berlengas-entre-finalistas-do-premio-europeu-natura-2000/
How do you foresee the evolution of SPEA's relationship with Videocast?
The Videocast is a tool that is here to stay at SPEA and has enormous potential that we want to continue to exploit. In this sense, Videocast and the FCCN Unit represent essential support that we hope to maintain. We believe that the potential of these systems goes far beyond dissemination. In the future, they could be a tool to be used in remote monitoring systems, for places that are difficult to access, for example. For those who work mainly at sea or surrounded by it, as in the case of small islands and islets, videocast systems could revolutionize the way we study, monitor and protect their natural values.
And how do you assess the possibility of integrating other services FCCN?
There are other services FCCN that would be very interesting to explore, in order to maximize the dissemination of SPEA's mission. I remember, for example, the FCCN studios I visited last year - spectacular equipment to be used in the documentaries we have planned for so many of our projects and/or initiatives. On the other hand, given the constraints resulting from the new coronavirus pandemic, FCCN 's remote meeting services will also be an interesting possibility to explore.
