segunda-feira, 14 de outubro de 2024
DESSERTAS🗾
quinta-feira, 10 de outubro de 2024
Os nossos pequenos grandes heróis…💂
Uma das minhas tarefas enquanto estagiária da SPEA, é fazer o trabalho de sensibilização em escolas.
Ao longo destes sete meses, já tive
a oportunidade de estar em contacto com crianças e adolescentes de várias
idades, desde o pré-escolar, até ao secundário.
No que toca ao pré-escolar, o nosso
plano de educação ambiental aborda a temática da poluição luminosa, porém com
uma linguagem adaptada às crianças de idades compreendidas entre os 3 e os 5
anos.
A “Hora do Conto” – a atividade dinamizada- conta a história de uma ave bebé (a cagarra), que ao longo do tempo vai ganhado independência e autonomia, até ao dia em que sente confiante para bater as suas asas e levantar voo, fazer o seu rumo e seguir para uma longa viagem ao encontro dos seus pais. No entanto, não é assim tão fácil como parece, pois encontra alguns desafios pelo caminho….
O objetivo deste conto, é que os mais pequenos comecem deste já a perceber uma das ameaças que o nosso ecossistema enfrenta, mas que a sociedade não está tão familiarizada, que é a poluição luminosa. Através desta elucidação, ajudamos os mais pequeninos a entender alguns dos obstáculos que as aves marinhas encontram para chegar ao seu destino, nomeadamente o excesso de luz artificial, que as torna mais suscetíveis a embater em edifícios, postes, caírem nas ruas das cidades, podendo até virem a ser atropeladas ou vítimas de predadores.
© CMSC
Após a parte teórica, temos a
oportunidade de fazer um jogo prático “Heróis por um dia”, que estimula as
crianças a agirem para salvar uma ave marinha, numa atividade que consiste em
esconder aves de peluche, que porventura perderam o sentido de orientação
devido à poluição luminosa, mas que agora as crianças, com uma caixa de cartão,
têm a hipótese de salvá-las!
Os mais pequenos chegam assim ao
fim da atividade, felizes e contentes por terem cumprido com a missão de Salvar
uma Ave Marinha.
Particularmente, também me sinto
realizada por poder contribuir de alguma forma com este trabalho de
sensibilização, nomeadamente dinamizar a Hora do Conto, pois tem sido uma
experiência enriquecedora poder estar perto de crianças, saber como ganhar a
sua confiança e aprender com as suas dúvidas e curiosidades.
*english version*
Our little great heroes...💂
One of my tasks as an SPEA intern is to raise awareness about light pollution in schools.
Over the course of the last seven months, I've already had the opportunity to be in contact with children and teenagers of various ages, from pre-school to secondary school.
As far as pre-schoolers are concerned, our environmental education activities address the issue of light pollution, but with a language adapted to children aged between 3 and 5.
In the “Story Time” activity, we tell the story of a baby bird that over time gains independence and autonomy. The day comes that he feels confident enough to flap his wings and take off, set his course and head off on a long journey to meet his parents. However, it's not as easy as it seems, as they encounter some challenges along the way....
The aim of telling this story is help make one of the threats facing our ecosystem, light pollution, understandable for even the littlest ones by explaining the problem in a simple and playful way. Light pollution is an issue that is relatively unknown to many people and we want to help kids to understand the obstacles seabirds encounter in their journey to the sea, namely the excessive lights that make fledglings more susceptible to crashing into buildings, lampposts, falling into city streets and even being run over or falling victim to predators.
© CMSC
After the story, we play the more practical game “Heroes for a day”, which encourages the children to take action to save a seabird. The activity consists of hiding stuffed birds that may have lost their sense of direction due to light pollution. But in this case, the children have the chance to save with a cardboard box!
The little ones ultimately reach the end of the activity, happy and content to have accomplished their mission of Saving a Seabird.
In particular, I also feel fulfilled for being able to contribute in some way to this awareness-raising work by organizing Story Time. It has been an enriching experience to be able to work close to children, to know how to gain their trust and to learn from their doubts and curiosities.
quarta-feira, 9 de outubro de 2024
Campanha das freiras 🆘
Respecto a la campaña de rescate de las freiras...
No hemos tenido "suerte" en nuestra zona (Cãmara do Lobos) en encontrar ejemplares, lo que en realidad es un resultado relativamente positivo puesto que demuestra que no se han confundido con la contaminación lumínica y han podido cumplir su mision biologica sin problema. Pero como he mencionado, es relativo, tambien puede significar que el incendio que recientemente ha arrasado gran parte del macizo central de la isla, tamabien haya mermado la población de esta especie tan delicada. Ahora mismo solo se pueden sacar conclusiones estimativas.
A propósito da campanha de salvamento das freiras....
segunda-feira, 7 de outubro de 2024
Voluntariano na Campanha freiras
*Portuguese version*
Voluntariando em uma campanha de aves marinhas
quinta-feira, 26 de setembro de 2024
Analisando as Mudanças na Iluminação Noturna da Madeira (2012–2023)
PORTUGUESE
Recentemente, fui encarregado de mapear os dados anuais de Iluminação Noturna VIIRS (VNL) de 2012 a 2023 para cinco regiões: Madeira, Corvo, Graciosa, Tenerife e Las Palmas. Usando o ArcGIS Pro, visualizei as mudanças na intensidade da luz noturna (NTL) nessas regiões, fornecendo insights sobre a evolução dos cenários urbanos e econômicos. Neste post, focarei na Madeira, onde padrões distintos de intensidade de NTL revelam mudanças importantes ao longo do tempo.
ENGLISH
Recently, I was tasked with mapping annual VIIRS Nighttime Light (VNL) data from 2012 to 2023 for five regions: Madeira, Corvo, Graciosa, Tenerife, and Gran Canarias. Using ArcGIS Pro, I visualized the changes in nighttime light (NTL) intensity across these regions, providing insights into the evolving urban and economic landscapes. In this post, I will focus on Madeira, where distinct patterns of NTL intensity reveal key shifts over time.
VISUALIZING THE TRENDS
The infographic above illustrates the annual progression of NTL in Madeira from 2012 to 2023. Key observations include:
Concentration in the South: The highest light levels are concentrated in the southern areas of Madeira, with Funchal standing out as the most persistent bright spot. This suggests that economic activities, such as tourism, commerce, and residential expansion, are most concentrated here.
Decreasing Intensity, Expanding Coverage: While the core intensity of the lights has reduced from 2012 to 2023, the lights are now covering a larger geographic area. This could reflect infrastructure development, such as the expansion of road networks and lighting in more remote or previously underlit areas.
POTENTIAL CAUSES OF CHANGE
There are several factors that could explain these shifts in NTL intensity and coverage:
Land use changes and/ New Lighting Networks: The expansion of urban and suburban areas may have led to new lighting installations, particularly in areas that were previously darker. This could explain the increase in spatial coverage despite a decrease in intensity in some core areas.
Energy-Efficient Lighting: The adoption of energy-efficient lighting solutions such as LEDs could be contributing to the decrease in intensity. These technologies often provide the same level of visibility with lower energy consumption, reducing the overall brightness visible from satellites.
Monitoring and Controlling Light Pollution: There has been growing awareness about the environmental impacts of light pollution, leading to initiatives aimed at reducing unnecessary light emissions. Regulations or projects like this one could contribute to the more controlled and efficient use of outdoor lighting.
CONCLUSION
By mapping and analyzing the changes in NTL over the years, we can better understand how human activity, economic development, and environmental considerations shape a region. In Madeira, the trends suggest both expansion and adaptation, with more areas being lit up while managing light intensity in key urban regions. A comparison of these NTL trends with land-use changes in the region would offer even deeper insights into how urban development and infrastructure growth align with environmental sustainability. This offers a glimpse into the island’s evolving landscape and the balance between development and sustainability.