Eu, Kathleen Carreira Neves, so um cuco. E tu?

Eu, Kathleen Carreira Neves, so um cuco. E tu? Descobre no quiz: 

https://www.opinionstage.com/page/0619ddf4-d27b-4bf3-b503-91d8f7fe5ba9?fbclid=IwY2xjawRwNv1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE4YnB3Q25VNHhpRmY1YlpSc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHr8IgnI8CXUU5vlQ0c1hX0HeZfZxVbcEVf229K-qOjBQoxPczBA3XDATrXMJ_aem_--SAubi_NO0vh7NPZvB6jg 

Aparentemente, sou o cuco, a ave conhecida pelo seu canto característico “cu-cu”, que acabou por dar nome à espécie. É também famosa pela sua particularidade reprodutiva, conhecida como parasitismo de criação: a fêmea põe os ovos no ninho de outra espécie, deixando que esta trate da incubação e da alimentação da cria.

Para além de estar associado a esta ave, ao mesmo tempo fascinante e impiedosa, esta publicação destaca duas coisas. Em primeiro lugar, sim, vivo com os meus pais e não pago impostos, como acontece com estudantes belgas. Mas, acima de tudo, em Portugal é possível doar 1% do IRS a qualquer associação, incluindo a SPEA, uma organização que desenvolve soluções concretas para compreender e proteger melhor as espécies afetadas pelo impacto humano.

English version

I, Kathleen Carreira Neves, am the cuckoo. And you?Found out with the quiz: 

https://www.opinionstage.com/page/0619ddf4-d27b-4bf3-b503-91d8f7fe5ba9?fbclid=IwY2xjawRwNv1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE4YnB3Q25VNHhpRmY1YlpSc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHr8IgnI8CXUU5vlQ0c1hX0HeZfZxVbcEVf229K-qOjBQoxPczBA3XDATrXMJ_aem_--SAubi_NO0vh7NPZvB6jg 

Apparently, I am the cuckoo, the bird known for its characteristic “cuckoo” song, which gave the species its name. It is also famous for its unusual breeding behavior, known as brood parasitism: the female lays her eggs in the nest of another species, which then incubates the egg and feeds the young bird.

Beyond being associated with this fascinating yet ruthless bird, this post highlights two things. First, yes, I live with my parents and I do not pay taxes, as is often the case for Belgian students. But most importantly, in Portugal, people can donate 1% of their IRS to any association they choose, including SPEA, an organization that works to develop concrete solutions to better understand and protect species affected by human impact.

Making the unpredictable predictable

Hi! Still the same team: Sonia and I are continuing our work on the project STOP Predators, which is a crucial initiative that could serve as a model for protecting other endangered species in the future.

One important thing to understand about working in ecology is that the real skill lies in problem-solving. It’s something we don’t really learn at school, but in reality, when you work with living species and in the field, not everything can be predicted. No matter how much you plan, things rarely go exactly as expected, and even when you think you’ve anticipated every possible issue, something new always comes up.

Some challenges can be anticipated, like the weather. Unfortunately, conditions were not on our side last month, which limited our ability to carry out fieldwork.

But other challenges are more surprising. Biological variability can completely change your expectations. We were targeting specific species like mice or rats, but in the field, things don’t always go according to plan, and we didn’t catch a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g. At that moment, it can be frustrating, especially after hours of preparation and effort in the field. Coming back empty-handed can be quite humbling. This raises two key questions: why does this happen, and how do we account for it in our calculations for the thesis? 

There are also moments when solutions are simple in theory,
but not so much in practice. For example, when our study site became inaccessible with the car due to a slippery slope, the “easy solution” was simply to walk one hour back and forth with a significant elevation gain and full bag. Not exactly easy… but I guess that’s what we call a “simple solution” in fieldwork.

On paper, protocols are clear and controlled. In reality, the field constantly reminds us that nature doesn’t follow our expectations and that variability and interactions are part of the process. It’s probably one of the biggest gaps between studying ecology and actually practicing it.

In the end, working in ecology is not just about knowledge, it’s about adapting, adjusting, and constantly finding solutions in unpredictable conditions.

But working in the field is definitely worth it.

Also, I did found the Madeira firecrest, so happy about that :)

Kusjes, 
Kath

Chasing data in wild places

 Portugues

Olá!

Nestas últimas semanas tive a oportunidade de iniciar outra parte do trabalho de campo para recolher dados sobre predadores no meu lugar favorito, Pico do Facho. Infelizmente, nem tudo correu como planeado, mas estamos a trabalhar numa estratégia para resolver o problema 😊. Além disso, uma das melhores partes do trabalho de campo é estar em lugares incríveis, com uma vista muito bonita, geralmente rodeada apenas pela natureza e longe dos ruídos intensos da cidade.

Além disso, a minha colega e eu terminámos a identificação dos animais nos vídeos das câmaras de armadilhagem, o que significa que finalmente podemos começar a trabalhar na nossa tese e analisar os dados recolhidos nos últimos anos, entrando assim no coração do projeto. Temos muitos dados para gerir e compreender, mas, felizmente, vamos trabalhar nisso juntas.

Esta semana também vou participar em algumas atividades de trabalho de campo do projeto LIFE Nature@Night com o Fernando, o que tenho a certeza de que será uma experiência única e me ajudará a compreender melhor o tema dos fatores de stress abióticos nas aves.

Beijinhos,
SD

English

Òla!
in these last few weeks I had the opportunity to start another part of the field work to collect data about predators in my favorite place, Pico do Facho. Unfortunately, everything didn’t go as planned, but we are working on a strategy to resolve the problem 😊. Also, one of the best part of fieldwork is being in super cool places with a very nice view, usually with only nature around and not hearing the loud noises of the city.

Moreover, my colleague and I finished identifying the animals in the videos in the camera traps, that means that we can finally start working on our thesis and analyze the data that were collected in the last years and enter in the heart of the project. We have a lot of data to manage and understand, but luckily, we will work on it together.

This week I will also participate in some field work of the LIFE Nature@Night project with Fernando, which I am sure will be a unique experience, and will help me understand better the topic of abiotic stress factors on birds.

Baci,

SD

Why choose SPEA Madeira?

It’s been a month since I arrived. Before applying for an internship at SPEA Madeira, I wanted to understand who they are, what they do, and the impact they have at both a national and international level. Here is a quick summary of my findings and my experience so far!

Who is SPEA? The Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves is a Portuguese non-governmental environmental organization (NGO). Founded on November 25, 1993, it began with a focus on birdwatching and ornithology before evolving into a major player in conservation.

Since 1999, SPEA has been the official Portuguese partner of BirdLife International, a global network of environmental organizations present in over 100 countries. Recognized as a Public Utility entity since 2012 and a Development NGO since 2021, SPEA is also a member of the C7 Coalition, which brings together Portugal’s seven largest environmental organizations to advocate for sustainable policies. Their expertise is world-renowned, as shown by awards like the 2022 Natura 2000 European Award for Marine Conservation.

While the headquarters are in Lisbon, SPEA has key delegations in the Azores and Madeira. The Madeira office have a small team coordinated by Cátia Gouveia, including Elisa, Tiago, and Manuel (experts in terrestrial and marine conservation), Catarina (a specialist in environmental education and communication), and Fernando (a technician in Geographic Information Systems).

The expertise here is vast, and the team works on several major but complementary fronts to protect island ecosystems:

• Restoring Habitats & Fighting Predators: With the new BESTLIFE2030 STOP Predators (2025-2027) project, evaluate the impact of invasive species (like cats, rats, and ferrets) and invasive plants on Cory’s Shearwater colonies. The goal is to create safe zones for these sensitive birds. This echoes the LIFE Pterodromas4future (2021-2026) project, dedicated to saving two endemic petrels which also face threats from habitat loss and climate change.

• Light Pollution: Through the LIFE Natura@night (2021-2025) project, they map light pollution in Natura 2000 areas to reduce its impact on nocturnal birds, bats, and moths. This effort comes to life every year with the Salve uma Ave Marinha campaign. Since 2009, volunteers have patrolled the island to rescue seabirds dazzled by artificial lights.

• The CircularOcean (2024-2028) project turns the challenge of marine litter into an opportunity. They work to sensitize the fishing and tourism sectors, as well as schools, by integrating waste management into a circular economy approach.

• Initiatives like LIFE4BEST Puffinus allow them to study the Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus), a vulnerable species nesting in remote cliffs by using new monitoring methodologies.

In short, being part of the SPEA Madeira team means being at the crossroads of scientific research and field conservation. Every project I am part of (managing invasive species and fighting light pollution) contributes to a larger goal: making Madeira a safer sanctuary for the unique biodiversity it holds.

My first month with SPEA

Portuguese version

Olá a todos novamente!

Já faz um mês desde que comecei o meu estágio aqui na Spea, e estou a começar a adaptar-me à Madeira :). Infelizmente, não temos tido muita sorte com o tempo, por isso trabalhámos sobretudo no escritório, a ver os vídeos das armadilhas fotográficas do ano passado e a começar a dar uma direção ao meu trabalho de divulgação. O trabalho de campo tem sido um pouco desafiante para mim, mas tenho a certeza de que vou encontrar uma forma de tirar o melhor proveito dele, e estou entusiasmada com todos os diferentes eventos em que a Spea participa, desde atividades educativas nas escolas até às feiras pela ilha.

Graças à ajuda da minha colega Kathleen, estamos a implementar a organização dos dados para que seja mais fácil trabalhar com eles quando fizermos a análise estatística e compreendermos os nossos resultados. Mesmo que o trabalho seja um pouco repetitivo, fico contente por ter este tempo para me envolver mais no projeto e aprender mais sobre a ilha através da leitura de relatórios, com a esperança de que nos próximos meses tenhamos mais sorte com o tempo e possamos continuar com a recolha de dados no campo :)

English version

Hi everyone again!

It is been one month since I started my internship here at Spea, and I’m starting to settle down in Madeira :). Unfortunately we haven’t been very lucky with the weather so we mostly worked in the office, watching last year camera traps videos and starting to give a direction to my dissemination. Field work has been a bit challenging for me but I am sure I’ll find a way to get the best from it, and I am looking forward to all the different events that Spea participates in, from the educational events in school to the fairs around the island. 

Thanks to the help of my coworker Kathleen we are implementing the data organization so that it’ll be easier to work with them when we are going to to the statistic and understand our results. Even if the work is a bit repetitive I am glad to have this time to engage more in the project and learn more about the island from reading reviews, hoping that in the next months we’ll be more lucky with the weather and we’ll be able to continue with the data collecting part in the field :)