As I start the final week of my winter getaway, I am encouraged by what I have read in the english Portugal News, regarding the Lagoa Wetlands. Otherwise known as Alagoas Brancas, this area is the last freshwater wetlands in the Algarve and is refuge for many species you would expect in such a habitat. The area has been acquired by a developer who intends to build - yes, just what we're desperate for - a supermarket, facing another supermarket across the road (sounds just like home!) I became aware of an action group of local people and fellow birders/naturalists, who were raising a petition to draw the local council's attention to the opposition and destruction of an important habitat. The petition has had initial success as the council has stopped the developer and the whole matter is being escalated to Central Government. I hope the people of Lagoa can achieve a favourable settlement for their local area. It is remarkable how a small organisation can bring to the attention of 'the powers that be', an issue which they had no knowledge of and sometimes, similar judgements can be applied favourably to other habitats. I feel the same despair at home sometimes, living on an island of finite square miles with an ever-increasing demand for housing and services. Lip service paid to farming and the countryside in general, having to create marine zones for sea creatures to live in safety. Whether it be a small woodland you've always known, a high-speed train through an important nature reserve, or a third runway at Heathrow obliterating village life - once that tarmac's down, it's down for good and the habitat's gone. Keep making your voices heard. Finally, some birds of the Lagoa area.
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