In mid-September, more than 200 new students from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto swapped their classrooms for a natural space by the Sousa River in Gondomar to take part in a special environmental volunteering mission. A concrete environmental conservation action with an impact on the future.
The initiative, entitled "Ser+ Ambiente: Catholic Students in Action", aimed to control invasive species (such as lucky bamboo, Australian mimosa, Japanese knotweed and Japanese bloodroot) and restore the ecology of an area heavily affected by the fires of September 2024. In an area of great natural and cultural value, this action sought to support the efforts of the Municipality of Gondomar and the FUTURO/CRE.Porto project, reinforcing the preservation of local biodiversity and the protection of native species.
"We wanted students to start the academic year with a gesture that combines environmental commitment, citizenship and the academic community. This was an opportunity to bring life back to a space that needed care and, at the same time, allowed bonds to be created between colleagues from different courses", emphasises Isabel Braga da Cruz, Pro-Rector of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa for the Porto Campus and Sustainability.
For Camila Aspilcueta, a student from South America who recently arrived at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto, "these initiatives are essential because they make us more aware of the impact we have on nature". It should be noted that Portuguese students participated in this initiative, as well as students from Chile, Macau, and Pakistan, among other nationalities.
Ser+ Ambiente, organised by the volunteer group at the Católica Solidária (CASO) at the Catholic University in Porto, is one of the cornerstones of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto. "We look at volunteering in a cross-cutting way, with a set of eight areas where we encourage our students to participate", explains Isabel Braga da Cruz.
"We believe that the volunteering process contributes to the integral development of the person, through a dynamic of reciprocal knowledge sharing. Volunteers and recipients can enhance each other's learning to be more", she concludes.
With this action, the Universidade Católica reinforces its commitment to sustainable development and the protection of our common home, integrating sustainability into its strategies.
