Spotting a Kentish plover
A reader photographed this small coastal bird at the Mindelo reserve. It nests along Portugal's coast but faces threats from disturbance and habitat loss.
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Pulse
26 June 2026
Good morning! Today's Pulse brings community clean-ups, simpler rules for shared energy, and a few projects worth keeping an eye on across Portugal.
A tree for every cable tray
OBO Bettermann is planting a tree for every 100 metres of cable tray sold, helping restore native forest in Cascais and Sintra.
Pine resin finds new uses
A Portuguese consortium is turning colophony from pine forests into a bio-based alternative to petrochemical materials across packaging, textiles and more.
The river that connects us
A free community clean-up of Praia da Trindade near Seixal Bay, with surfer Joao Kopke riding a board made from collected beach debris.
Young Europeans clean Praia Formosa
Over 40 young people from six countries cleaned a Funchal beach and reflected on fast fashion's waste, with upcycling and invasive plant removal too.
Awareness at river beaches
EPAL and Aguas do Vale do Tejo are running a summer campaign at six inland beaches on water value and bathing quality for families.
Academia Ponto Verde at the beach
The recycling education programme returns to 30 beaches and pools nationwide in its biggest edition, expecting to reach over 5,000 children.
Algarve's only Blue Flag river beach
Praia Fluvial de Odeleite opens in Castro Marim after years of drought delays, with floating pools, sun decks and lifeguards until September.
Simpler rules for shared energy
The government has cut red tape for collective self-consumption and energy communities, which have grown to over 1,200 connected projects.
Words that matter in energy
A Coopernico voice argues the terms for energy communities and collective self-consumption are blurred, calling for clearer rules and real citizen governance.
An integrated EV charging package
Goldenergy launched a solution combining home and public charging, with an optional solar tie-in and low overnight charging costs.
Biomethane into the gas grid
A new association, ATMAS, argues that feeding biomethane into the existing gas network could cut transition costs and meet 2030 targets.
COP31 bike ride challenge
A global cycling relay will hand ten cycling proposals to the Environment Minister in Oeiras, with CCDR-LVT urging municipalities to adopt them by 2030.
Smarter freight rail
The SMARTBOGIE project is developing an AI-equipped freight bogie with sensors and LIDAR for predictive maintenance and better energy efficiency.
Valorsul landfill licence expires
The environmental licence for the Mato da Cruz landfill in Vila Franca de Xira expires this week, with residents pushing against renewal over odour complaints.
ZERO opposes Barreiro fuel terminal
ZERO calls the proposed expansion of the Barreiro liquid bulk terminal for petrol and diesel incompatible with climate neutrality goals.
Concerns over Torres Novas biomethane plant
Quercus opposes a planned biomethane plant in Torres Novas, warning of gas emission and water contamination risks for thousands of residents.
Sophia solar park under review
Lightsource BP says it remains open to dialogue on its redesigned Sophia solar project, but civic groups criticise the consultation as a marketing exercise.
Questions on grazing support
The PCP is pressing the government on whether it will reopen applications for extensive grazing support, after shepherds were excluded by budget limits.
A pioneering fire-prevention tool
Terras de Tras-os-Montes built a GIS tool linking land registry data with fire risk to quickly identify landowners and prioritise vegetation clearance.
Algarvensis joins the global geoparks
The Global Geoparks Network president is visiting Algarvensis to mark its entry, including the launch of a pilot 'Geopark School' in Loule.
A butterfly guide for Madeira
Funchal's Natural History Museum launches the first volume of its biodiversity guides, a bilingual book dedicated to butterflies.
Theatre touring Silves on CO2
LAMA Teatro is touring Silves with a free outdoor show blending humour and nostalgia around an old van's final journey.
Algarve's best creative tourism
The Make In Algarve Prize awarded four cultural and creative tourism projects judged on sustainability, accessibility and heritage links.
EWA project in the spotlight
The EU CAP Network's magazine highlights Portugal's EWA programme, which mentors women entrepreneurs in the agrifood sector.
Health sustainability award
Applications for the Premio Inovacao em Saude on sustainability and digital transformation close on 30 June.
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