The Occupational and Environmental Health Service (sSOA) of the Polytechnic University of Coimbra (PUC) and its School of Agriculture (ESAC) brought together the academic community in an action to control invasive biological species in the ESAC Campus Forest, held on 5 May.
According to Ana Ferreira, PUC’s vice-president, ‘the promotion of environmental sustainability is a strategic priority for the Polytechnic of Coimbra, and initiatives like this, centred on the identification and control of invasive species, reflect our community’s ongoing commitment to the preservation of biodiversity and the responsible management of ecosystems. It is with great satisfaction that we see students, teachers and non-teaching staff united in a concrete action of environmental awareness and intervention, whose proactivity not only contributes to improving the green spaces of our campuses, but also has the potential to extend beyond the borders of the IPC, through the replication of good practices in the territories where each participant lives and operates. In this way, we reinforce the IPC’s role as an active agent in building a more balanced and sustainable future.’
‘It was very positive to see not only the ESAC student community joining in, especially in the forestry area, but also students, teachers and other staff from other IPC Organisational Units. Definitely an initiative to repeat,’ adds Professor Hélia Marchante, who was responsible for coordinating and organising the event.
This activity was organized within the european alliance UNIgreen and took place as part of the Portugal & Spain Invasive Species Week (SEI 2025) and was part of the more than 180 control activities organised between the two countries. It allowed the participants to understand the characteristics of the invasive species that exist in the Coimbra region and the importance of managing and controlling them, particularly on the ESAC Campus.
