Emc2 project marks World Environmental Education Day by planting camarinheiras trees in Caminha

The Emc2 educational project participated in the 2025 edition of World Environmental Education Day, promoted by the WEEC (World Environmental Education Congress) Network, an initiative that took place in October and aims to highlight the importance of environmental education in empowering young people and citizens to act in favour of the environment, nature and biodiversity. 

In Portugal, the Emc2 Project initiative, entitled “Exploring the Camarinha da Costa Woods”, was coordinated by researcher Alexandra Abreu Lima (MARE & INIAV, I.P.) and involved around 100 pupils and teachers from the Caminha Primary and Secondary School, as well as approximately 30 scouts from the Seixas Group. The initiative took place in the Camarido Forest and consisted of planting camarinheiras, shrubs whose female plants produce small edible fruits known as camarinhas.

This action aims to prevent the extinction of a declining local population and was carried out in partnership with the COREMA Association, following the propagation methodology developed in 2018 by the team of researcher Pedro Oliveira (INIAV, I.P.). The most recent propagation was supported by the Raíz da Terra Nursery. The planting also involved the support of the Emc2 Project, the COREMA Association, the ICNF, the Caminha School Community, the Municipality of Caminha, the Union of Parishes of Moledo and Cristelo, and the Seixas Scouts.

This initiative demonstrates, once again, MARE's commitment to promoting practical environmental education, involving the local community in the preservation of biodiversity and the conservation of Portuguese ecosystems.

The report on the 2025 edition of the WEEC Network's World Environmental Education Day can be found HERE.