RIAS/ALDEIA
Region
Europe
Country
Portugal
Flyway
East Atlantic flyway
Initiative
WLI Europe
About
Name of organisation
Centro de Recuperação e Investigação de Animais Selvagens
Funding support
ANA Aeroporto-Faro, Fundo Ambiental
Number of staff
7, plus volunteers (minimum 15 per year)
Number of visitors per year
1,500 - 2,000
Overall aims of the centre
- Receive and recover injured/sick wild animals and release back to nature
- Scientific research
- Environmental awareness
Description of the centre
RIAS is a centre with an area of around 4.500 m2 with several types of facilities for the rehabilitation of wildlife, and it’s located in the Ria Formosa Natural Park (Olhão, Portugal), which covers 18.000 ha of land, lagoon and ocean.
This natural park has five islands that separate the lagoon from the Atlantic Ocean, forming different habitats, like barrier islands, saltmarsh, salt ponds, dunes, agricultural areas, etc. With it, a big diversity of birds (Greater Flamingo, Osprey, Audouin’s Gull, Spoonbill, Egrets, etc) come here to reproduce, to find shelter and/or food.
In RIAS, there is a small Environmental Interpretative Centre, which receives around 2.000 visitors every year. The team also does activities in schools, workshops, and open events of releasing animals back to nature, raising the previous number to more than 6.000 people.
Work Areas
Main CEPA work area
We have a department focused mainly on social media and environmental education. These are the main methods we use to raise awareness in the community about the species that surround us, and how to contribute to their conservation. Regularly, we use the social media to engage with our followers, asking questions in stories and showing them the animals recovering.
Additionally, we have an Environmental Interpretative Centre, where we exhibit several biological materials (skeletons and wings, for example) from animals that exist in the area, but also materials that were the reason they entered in our center, like gun pellets, bird taps, fishing gear, etc. This way, we hope to make people more aware of the threats some species face, and what they can do to contribute to their conservation.
Top three successes
- Reached 10.000 rehabilitated animals
- Get to talk about wildlife conservation with more than 180.000 people until today
- Being able to keep a seven people team
Top three challenges
- Improving the Interpretative Centre experience
- Gather financial support (through partnerships, donations and/or sponsorships)
- Reach more people through environmental education activities
Expertise
Interpretation techniques
Using audio-visual tools
Visitor centres
Running a visitor centre
Participation
Engaging young people; Engaging the local community; Working with volunteers
Education and communication
Delivering adult education; Working with primary schools; Working with secondary schools
General
Running effective administration; Fund-raising
Contact
RIAS/ALDEIA, Rua do Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, CEAM, Quinta de Marim, 8700-194 Olhão, Portugal.
+351 927 659 313
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