Free illustrated guide covers 69 species along Gaia's stretch of the Portuguese Camino

Vila Nova de Gaia council has published a 160-page biodiversity guide for walkers on its section of the Portuguese Way of St James. It profiles 69 plants and animals, invasive ones among them, across more than 300 scientific illustrations, and adds route maps and notes on each species' role in ecosystems. Written by biologists Fernando Correia and Diana Santos, it is free at the Parque Biológico de Gaia and local tourist offices. Six interpretive panels along the route, covering habitats such as walls, meadows, ponds, woodland and gardens, plus invasive species, complement the guide under the STEPS for LIFE project.