Forest Literacy in Tibães

The forest and gardens of Tibães were, on a Saturday morning and afternoon, the stage and the moment of union with nature for students of 6th and 8th grade, from the Mosteiro do Cávado School Group in another initiative of the LPN's project Literacy for the Forest.

In addition to the activities of observation, interpretation and challenges about the forest provided by a guidebook, the students made a peddy-paper organized by the teachers, in a route along the monastery of Tibães and the 40 hectares of fence, the largest preserved baroque and romantic monastic fence in Portugal, unique in its kind as it combines agricultural and forest functions with the baroque garden.

Situated on the slopes of Monte de S. Gens, on its northern side facing the Cávado river, the space of the Tibães monastery and the Cerca is of great heritage wealth, in which the management of the property has been remarkable, as examples, the success in combating Mimosas (Acácia dealbata) and safeguarding the great biodiversity, from fungi to amphibians and rare secular plants that exist there.  One can observe there, among others, plants from the association of the Northern Oak (Quercus robur), the protected Holly (Ilex aquifolium), the Laurel (Laurus nobilis), the Hazel (Corylus avellana), the Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo), the Canary Laurel (Ruscus aculeatus) and the Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus).

Measurement of the Diameter at breast height of an imposing specimen of Alvarinho Oak (Quercus robur).

It was in this remarkable and secular space that the students carried out the peddy-paper in a route with stations where tasks were performed with the collaboration of the LPN teacher and the school teachers paying attention to biodiversity. The activities covered the contents of the guide, leading students to discover and observe the fauna and flora, such as calculating the diameter at breast height of trees and identifying birds through mobile applications.

Along the way, the stations next to the S. Bento Chapel stand out, observing in its garden, azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, and magnificent specimens of Quercus robur.

Inside the fence, we passed through the galleries where tungsten was mined in the 1940s for the manufacture of weapons for World War II; with the destruction of part of the fence structure, including terraces, due to its exploitation.

Opening of the old exploited tungsten mine.

Next to a lake fed by water coming from the mines, the students had a station where they performed activities and could admire three trees of remarkable size and scenic value, such as a Pinus pinaster (Pinus pinaster) that, along with two Himalayan Cedars (Cedrus deodara), are classified as Trees of Public Interest of Portugal since 2010.

And so with literacy and positive attitudes promoted by the Literacy for the Forest Project and with the initiative of the teachers of the Mosteiro do Cávado School Grouping, the students had fun learning, contacting with Nature in this magnificent space surrounding the Tibães Monastery.