Eco-trip to the Azores: experiencing nature

The winner of the 3^rd edition of the Bgreen // ecological film festival grand prize category was the video spot from Vardafjell school in Norway, entitled “Lady Lancelot”. The team that created this spot was awarded a 4-day eco-trip to São Miguel, known as the green island, in the Azores.

On September 9^th, the winners initiated a long trip that would take them to the starting point of this great ecological adventure, the city of Ponta Delgada. From this moment on they enjoyed the privilege of “breathing” all the purity and tranquility characteristic of this island. The observation of the cetaceans just off the coast was an excellent way to kick off this great adventure.

It was with great enthusiasm that our group of winners covered the 12 km surrounded by lush landscapes and attentively observed some of the native species such as the heather, beech, laurel and holly, which are responsible for the great variety of shades of green spread across the horizon, paying special attention to the different alterations in the flora as they reached different altitudes. Enthusiasm grew upon arrival to the Lagoa do Fogo and persisted in the observation of the extensions of winding green land that come to a sudden halt by clashing with the blue sea.

The Lagoa das Furnas was eye-catching due to its extent. Curiosity was evident in the look of the Vardafjell students as they hoisted the cloth-enveloped pan that was buried in the geothermic soil. This traditional dish, which is cooked with the land’s natural heat, was greatly appreciated. The natural hot water pools are, undeniably, one of the island’s prodigies, for the delight of the young students who bathed in the crystal clear waters and invigorating mud of Poça da Dona Beija. Alongside the surrounding landscape, the thermal waters of Caldeira Velha and the fumaroles of Ribeira Grande made some exceptional moments possible.

During the visit to the Factory-museum of Porto Formoso, the students were able to understand the importance of the region’s tea plantations, unique in the European context, by learning the history of the cultivation and the evolution of the machinery, culminating with a much appreciated tasting.

It was undoubtedly a trip that allowed the students and teacher from Vardafjell to get in touch with nature, opening their horizons to the necessity of preserving the environment, through the awareness of the quality of life that “the green island” provides its inhabitants and the fantastic and invigorating experiences it enables its visitors, thus strengthening the motto: “Be responsible, Bgreen!”.