Project "Albergaria + Ativa" is already halfway through: what is the current situation?

Associação BioLiving was one of the awarded entities in the 3rd edition of the BPI Foundation "la Caixa" Rural Award 2021, which enabled the implementation of an active aging project, linked to nature conservation, in Albergaria-a-Velha: Albergaria + Ativa. The project is already half way through and, therefore, in this article, you can find out the current situation.

Albergaria + Ativa project, coordinated by BioLiving Association, aims to fight isolation and social exclusion among the senior population of the municipality of Albergaria-a-Velha through activities related to Nature. This project started in January 2022 and is now in the second half of its implementation.

Since the beginning of the project, we have been working in partnership with the Social Association for the Elderly with Life (ASIV), in the parishes of Frossos and São João de Loure and, at the moment, we also have work carried out with new partners, namely the Centro Social and Paroquial de Angeja, the Alquerubim Social Solidarity Association (ASSA) and Solar das Camélias, located in the parishes of Angeja, Alquerubim and Ribeira de Fráguas, respectively.

As part of this project, we have already managed to reach around 500 people, with whom we have developed various environmental awareness and education activities. With the interpretive tours, we took the groups to natural spaces where we talked about Portuguese Fauna and Flora, particularly common in the territory of Albergaria-a-Velha, also covering the issue of invasive plant species.

We also carried out intergenerational activities, bringing together several generations from children to the elderly, promoting better understanding, cooperation and respect between generations, enhancing physical and emotional well-being and fighting sedentary lifestyle.

Using educational games created or adapted especially for this project, several team building activities were carried out, with the aim of developing the feeling of belonging that is often lost in the more advanced age groups.

We have also developed environmental volunteering activities, where we built nest boxes and drinking troughs for birds, we sowed aromatic edible plants that are very useful for pollinating insects and we also made a vegetable garden for growing food, thus allowing a more effective action by the participants in improving the environments surrounding the institutions in question.

By the end of this project, we intend to increase the number of the various activities already described, continuing with our action with the senior public together with the general public so that, through education and environmental awareness, we can alleviate isolation and social exclusion that affects the elderly population.

Finally, we express our gratitude to all partners, entities and volunteers who have been collaborating with us, allowing the implementation of this project with its users, partners, family and friends.