The project 'DESAFIO ALFArroba' is the result of a collaboration between Escola EB2,3 Dr. António de Sousa Agostinho (Almancil), the Municipality of Loulé (CML), the Parish Council of Almancil (JFA) and the University of Algarve (UAlg).

This project aims to involve young people in the mission of 'Climate Action and Environmental Safeguard', raising awareness of the importance of Nature-Based Solutions for the decarbonization of urban areas, and encouraging them to adopt more environmentally responsible and sustainable behaviors.
The project started on June 23rd of 2021, at the aforementioned school, with the allocation of young carob trees to students from 6 classes who attended the 8th grade.
It was intended that each student would take care of their respective tree during the summer vacation of that year, monitor its development, document this experience in an immaterial way (through a tool available online) and, with the support of CML technicians, plant the respective tree in an appropriate location in the parish of Almancil, which would later be georeferenced to allow future monitoring of the tree's development.

Of the 106 carob trees assigned, those that developed were planted and georeferenced on November 9th and 10th of 2021.
Today, INTERNATIONAL BIODIVERSITY DAY, we highlight the activity that took place last week, May 19 of 2022, as part of the celebration of 'Climate Week 2022', specifically the delivery of certificates to participants of the DESAFIO ALFArroba, delivered by the President Vítor Aleixo, accompanied by Councilor Carlos Carmo, the Director of the School Group Maria Militão, the representative of the Parish Council of Almancil Dora Olival and the exemplary faculty who accompanied this project.

Also present at this moment were Councilwoman Marylin Zacarias, the Municipal Director of Environment and Sustainable Development Júlio de Sousa and a group of technicians from the environment and climate action departments of the municipality of Loulé.

Remember that the carob tree is an excellent ally in mitigating and adapting to climate change, as it has low flammability/combustibility (fire resistance), is able to subsist on poor soils under water scarcity, creates good shade and cooling zones. temperature and contributes to the sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) – it is estimated that 1 hectare with about 120 adult carob trees has the capacity to sequester about 15 tons of CO2e per year.

It is intended to continue this project, through the evaluation/quantification of the ecosystem services provided by each of the carob trees planted, and replicating it in other schools in the municipality of Loulé.

Each student participating in this Challenge was presented with a bamboo toothbrush from the Loulé Adapta brand.