The planting of 500 trees at ‘Bouça do Souto’, a plot of approximately two hectares acquired by the Brotherhood of Bom Jesus do Monte last year to create a protective tree buffer for the Sanctuary’s forest against wildfires, was marked yesterday, just days after the celebration of World Indigenous Forest Day.
The planting was promoted by the Municipality of Braga and the Minho Automobile Club (CAM), and it was part of a carbon offset initiative for the emissions generated in the last two editions of the International Falperra Hillclimb.
Rogério Peixoto, president of CAM, explained that the half-thousand trees resulted from an impact study on carbon dioxide emissions commissioned by the Falperra Hillclimb organization in 2023 from a specialized company.
Although the environmental impact of this year’s edition of the motorsport event in terms of pollutant emissions was lower, it was decided to maintain the offset of 250 trees calculated for the 2023 edition.
For the City of Braga’s Environmental Councillor, Altino Bessa, who took part in the planting at ‘Bouça do Souto’, the initiative was another contribution from the municipality to the environmental preservation and enhancement of Bom Jesus do Monte, a UNESCO World Heritage Landscape since 2019.
“In recent years, we’ve already donated about two thousand trees to Bom Jesus through joint actions with various institutions and companies. Today, we’re here with CAM, who also wanted to be part of this effort,” the councillor stated.
The Brotherhood of Bom Jesus do Monte is currently implementing a project to strengthen the environmental sustainability of the Sanctuary’s cultural landscape through the planting of native trees.
The project includes, in part, the creation of this protective tree buffer against forest fires, while also enhancing the natural landscape of the Bom Jesus hillside.
At ‘Bouça do Souto’, cork oaks, chestnut trees, oaks, birches, cherry trees, and other species are being planted.
The Brotherhood of Bom Jesus aims to plant five thousand trees at this location. It is estimated that around 2,500 trees have already been planted at ‘Bouça do Souto’, half of the final goal for this reforestation project.
Yesterday, the president of the Brotherhood, Canon Mário Martins, emphasized that this work aligns with the repeated message from Pope Francis about the defense of our planet as a ‘common home’ and the promotion of an integral ecology.