The Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and the Sea, provides, starting today, new contents and themes under the SIARAM project - "Feeling and Interpreting the Azores Environment."

In fulfilment of Article 82 of Regional Legislative Decree no.15/2012/A of April 2 establishing the legal framework for nature conservation and biodiversity, the lists containing protected wild fauna and flora species in the Azores may be consulted on the SIARAM site.

In the context of another anniversary of Capelinhos volcano, several testimonials on the volcanic eruption were collected, consisting of video interviews of the people who witnessed this event in 1957 and 1958.

Regarding the "fajãs" in the Azores, a work is being carried with special emphasis on their cultural heritage and the perfect relationship between men and nature in these places.

The inland landscape of Terceira has been shaped over the centuries by the presence and maintenance of wild-bred bulls. The bulls bred on Terceira have had an effective relationship with nature over time and, therefore, they might have played an important role in the preservation of natural areas. On this subject, several images depicting inland landscapes of Terceira are displayed on the site as well as several video testimonials of historians and researchers at the University of the Azores that talk about the spaces where wild bulls are bred and their relation with the preservation of nature.

The site also includes a new approach to the archipelago's landscapes with new images of all islands. The Aerial images of the Azores displayed in this area were obtained thanks to the collaboration of the Portuguese Air Force.

It also features an approach to Azorean gardens with significant heritage value in terms of cultural relevance and botanical diversity. These gardens are home to almost every species of the planet; some of which are very rare. The work begins with the Duque da Terceira Garden and the Garden of Sant'Ana Palace on São Miguel.

The site also opens a new chapter on amphibians in the Azores, providing images and videos the two species living in the Azores: frogs and crested newts. The book "Tritão de Crista em São Miguel" (Crested Newt on São Miguel) by Emanuel Machado, published by Amigos dos Açores Ecological Association in 1997, will be available on the website.

Solar energy and electricity generation from biogas are other the issues addressed on the SIARAM page. It also provides Information on these technologies and how they are being implemented in the Azores.

One may know a little more about the only terrestrial eruption that occurred on Terceira after the settlement. The Mistérios Negros Volcano is an eruption that occurred in 1761 with many interesting features and it represents a landmark in the inland landscape of Terceira. In addition to photographs and videos about this place, it features a historical note on the volcano by Jorge A. Paulus Bruno.

In the area of water resources in the Azores, the site also displays a research paper "Para uma Antropologia da Água Doce no Arquipélago dos Açores" (For an Anthropology of Freshwater in the Azores Archipelago) by Rui de Sousa Martins, Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the University of the Azores and Director of the Vila Franca do Campo Museum.
 
Furthermore, the SIARAM page also displays new contents on the Furna do Enxofre (Sulphur Cave) Visiting Centre on Graciosa, the Fajã da Caldeira do Santo Cristo Interpretation Centre on São Jorge and the Endemic Species Seedling Nursery on Terceira. The site has also updated information on the new exhibitions promoted by the Azores Environmental Observatory on Terceira, the Azores Microbial Observatory and Expolab, São Miguel. All centres that contribute to the knowledge on the environmental richness of the Azores are now available on the SIARAM site.