“I remember my grandfather telling me about the macaws in this region it’s impossible not to smile seeing them back we know where they are,” says biologist Humberto Mendes a professor at the Federal University of Alfenas in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state a professor at Texas A&M University (USA) and one of the world’s leading experts on Psittaciformes (parrots) considered an international reference in free-flight training for pet birds the Brazilian led a project to reintroduce blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) in São Simão an area where the blue-and-yellow plumaged species used to exist in the past but became locally extinct more than 50 years ago What is so pioneering about this release is the technique used: free flight with psittacines never before employed in conservation programs the excellent result obtained: a 100% success rate “This result is absolutely wonderful I say that even though I’m a grumpy old scientist,” Brightsmith jokes as he celebrates the project’s success Just over two years after the initial release of the six blue-and-yellow macaws in 2022 all of them are still alive and showing great adaptation they have also been put through their paces They survived a fire that hit the region in the second half of 2024 when much of Brazil suffered from wildfires bought from breeders authorized by Brazil’s federal environmental agency they were accompanied by three other adult birds of the same species so they could learn to fly and behave in flocks chicks born in captivity are released into the wild when they reach a certain age “If you raise an animal in a cage until it’s 2 or 3 years old it will hardly know how to defend itself from predators or look for food because it’s being provided It won’t have any navigational skills And then you open the door to the enclosure and they have to find their way around in an environment they don’t know And that’s the biggest problem conservation programs face when releasing birds into the wild,” Biro says “It’s as if you raised a teenager all his life in a closed room and then suddenly released him into a crowded shopping mall,” he compares There are lots of things we can’t imagine but they can cause a phobia and these animals can fly off in desperation,” Mendes adds And that’s where the big difference lies with free flight Not that the technique is new; on the contrary which has been used for millennia to train birds of prey through what is known as “operant conditioning,” a process that involves offering a reward (food) for each task performed it has become popular among domestic psittacine breeders the birds need to be trained at a very young age and as soon as the chicks have the slightest ability to fly we encourage them to jump between two points to be fed Then we fly them out of the aviary and back again,” Biro explains the training gradually includes an increasingly scarce food supply and a change in the time of day forcing the macaws to look for food in the wild Their instincts were being developed for the natural environment and not that of a cage,” the trainer says Brightsmith, Mendes and Biro say they believe the success of the study carried out with the blue-and-yellow macaw in Brazil could signal a new method to be used in parrot and macaw reintroduction programs. They report the results of the experiment in a scientific article in the journal Birds others were killed by predators and one had to return to the aviary because of its behavior “We’re looking at a couple of decades of scientific parrot release projects where the release is final,” Brightsmith says “Often they fly for miles and end up getting lost there are problems with predators or a whole host of other issues with traditional methods you’re putting them in the right environment the natural tendency to develop appropriate behaviors works.” blue-and-yellow macaw chicks are already beginning to explore the world beyond the nest still accompanied and under the protection of their parents the way psittacines are usually released has a problem at its core: They are taught to be caged birds and then there is an expectation that they will become wild animals Another advantage of the free-flight technique is the much lower cost only to discover that these birds can’t survive in the wild because they don’t have enough experience in the real world,” the Texas A&M professor says The same method was also used in Colombia in 2023. Around 20 blue-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva) were confiscated by the police and handed over to a local organization, Fundación Loros Those involved in the Brazilian project say they believe that free flight could be a new conservation option for the reintroduction of birds in cases such as the one above for seized chicks or for those born in captivity Mendes reveals that there are now plans for a new study with smaller birds that are more vulnerable to predation such as the red-shouldered macaw (Diopsittaca nobilis) “Our aim is to prove the efficiency of the technique with different sizes and species of psittaciformes.” The researchers’ hope is that the use of the technique and its wider dissemination among conservation specialists will enable more birds to fly freely in the skies especially in places where certain species have become extinct as is currently the case in São Paulo’s countryside with the return of the blue-and-yellow macaw Imagem do banner: Blue-and-yellow macaws during training This story was first published here in Portuguese on Feb The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] 43,000+ global companies doing business in the region 102,000+ key contacts related to companies and projects news and interviews about your industry in English This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The São Simão Hydroelectric Power Plant has six generating units that provide up to 1.71GW in total GE Renewable Energy’s Hydro division has secured a contract from SPIC Brasil to carry out a comprehensive modernisation project at the São Simão Hydroelectric Power Plant in Brazil Located in the municipalities of Santa Vitória and São Simão the plant features six generating units that collectively provide up to 1.71GW which is enough to power six million homes The contract scope includes providing equipment for the turbines the engineering project and its integration and assembling and commissioning the six generating units GE’s Hydro division will carry out the work while Chinese state-owned engineering company Powerchina will support the project Powerchina will also provide electrical and mechanical balance of plant (BOP) systems digital control systems and hydromechanics for the plant The project is expected to take a total of nine years encompassing the complete cycle of engineering Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis GE Renewable Energy Hydro division president and CEO Pascal Radue said: “With this project we reaffirm our commitment to support the generation of clean affordable and reliable energy for millions of Brazilians “Our teams work to optimise the operations of the plants and improve their availability for our customers so that they can make the most of their assets and the resources available to meet the demand for electricity in the country.” SPIC Brasil CEO Adriana Waltrick said: “The modernisation prepares São Simão Hydroelectric Power Plant for the future reinforcing the efficiency and reliability of our main renewable energy generation asset in the country which is being equipped with the most advanced technology “The plant is located in an important and strategic region of electric-energy flow being an important source for the national energy generation system.” Earlier this week, GE Grid Solutions was contracted to deliver an onshore substation for the Empire Wind I offshore wind project in New York in consortium with BOND Civil & Utility Construction Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network. The People's Bank of China (PBC), the central bank, on Wednesday injected a net 600 billion yuan ($92.7 ... The Digital Currency Institute of the People's Bank of China and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) are ... Shanghai issues plans for pilot Silk Road e-commerce cooperation, highlights cross-border yuan settlement Osman Can Yerebakan is a curator and art writer based in New York. Home Gazing at one of Marina Perez Simão’s vivid landscapes feels like traveling to an unknown place you can’t quite make out just the fluid suggestion of an environment and human bodies Hovering between abstraction and figuration the São Paolo painter’s unique style comes from working with oil to convey light and build dreamy layers Point of view: “I’m more interested in distilling or subverting the traditional elements of landscape but as I find myself in the middle of the process Up next: Following the fall show “Sonia Gomes / Marina Perez Simão” at Pace’s East Hampton pop-up, her work is on view in a solo show at Mendes Wood DM in Brussels through December 19. She’s currently preparing for a solo presentation at Pace in 2021. mendeswooddm.com, pacegallery.com “I was first drawn to the work of Marina Perez Simão through a series of paintings that seem to peer through windows or doorways without deference to the laws of linear perspective a unity of vision that is wonderfully counterbalanced by her precisely nested brushstrokes and her forms within forms.” © 2023 Hudson One Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy SPIC is one of the five largest power generators in the world The company ranks first in the world in solar energy and among the top ten in hydroelectric power generation More than 60% of the energy generated by the company comes from clean sources and it has ambitious goals for the future: by 2025 it hopes that 70% of its energy will come from renewable sources SPIC Global employs more than 130,000 people worldwide and has projects and assets worth more than $220 billion the installed energy capacity is over 195 GW with Brazil being one of the most strategic markets for the company with the highest installed capacity of 2,764 MW With a consolidated and expanding presence in the world the company is now investing in the energy transition to low-carbon sources SPIC provided 150 hydrogen buses with a range of up to 650 kilometers under standard conditions and a reduction of 70kg of CO2 for every 100km traveled SPIC has also cooperated with more than 100 large companies in clean energy sectors and technologies such as wind and hydropower SPIC could provide direct supply of 100 billion kWh of green electricity to large users SPIC is during Phase 2 of its Energy Transition strategy and the company is also developing innovation initiatives in different energy sources such as leading efficiency photovoltaic cells China's first pilot recycling line for photovoltaic modules and a vertically integrated photovoltaic industry chain SPIC Brasil has assets totaling almost 3 GW of installed capacity in different energy sources spread throughout the country is the company's largest asset in the country with an installed capacity of 1,710 MW and annual generation of 10.5 GWH demonstrating Brazil's great potential for this type of generation São Simão HPP will receive over BRL 1 billion in investments over the next 10 years focusing on modernization and expansion of installed capacity to make it more competitive SPIC's innovation-oriented energy transition includes an investment model that moves from heavy to light assets; traditional energy to new power to Power to X and integrations; and from a project portfolio in hydro In addition to cooperation with large customers SPIC Brasil also operates in two wind farms in the northeast of Brazil - Millennium and Vale dos Ventos - which together generate more than 150 GWh of energy annually capacity that can supply about 120 thousand households the company entered the LNG (liquefied natural gas) market in Brazil acquiring a 33% stake in the Gas Natural Açu (state of RJ) projects - GNA I and GNA II - which should add up to 3 GW in installed capacity of the company in the country in the coming years we entered the solar power generation market in the country with two greenfield solar projects in the Northeast of Brazil municipality of Jaguaretama) and Marangatu (state of PI The two projects will have an installed capacity of 738 MW and will supply more than 900 thousand households with clean and sustainable energy Brazil is one of the most strategic markets for SPIC Global with great potential for development in the energy transition The company has projects in different energy matrices spread throughout the country and planned investments of 1 billion reais in the São Simão Hydropower Plant in state of Goiás The modernization and expansion of the installed capacity are part of the 'Mission Future' project which should move the Brazilian industry specialized in equipment Working to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and nature WWF® and ©1986 Panda Symbol are owned by WWF You are using an outdated browser. 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Suscribe x MercoPress, en Español Montevideo, May 5th 2025 - 12:06 UTC fertilizer and other agricultural products has reopened after a 20-month closure due to drought and the use of water for electricity  On Monday a barge train passed downstream on the Tiete River through the locks at the Nova Avanhandava hydro-dam for the first time since 2014 The barges will later head to Sao Simao in Brazil's central western state of Goias where they are expected to load soybeans which will taken for export from the Port of Santos on the Atlantic coast near Sao Paulo Brazil's agricultural output is only rivaled by the United States but its underdeveloped and expensive transport infrastructure is the country's main barrier to raising its share of world exports 3 exporter of corn and a major exporter of cotton Water that could have helped maintain river and canal levels was used instead for electricity due to rising energy demand and the delay of giant new power projects came critically close to running out of drinking water Rains at the end of 2015 intensified in January helping water levels on rivers in Brazil's southeast and central-west to recover from one of the worst droughts in decades The Tiete-Parana's closure forced more of Brazil's production from the key farming states of Sao Paulo Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul onto more expensive and precarious road and rail systems each of the Tiete-Parana system's barge trains can carry the equivalent of 200 highway trucks according the Sao Paulo's waterway authority Another barge train was expected to pass up the Tiete through the Nova Avanhandava locks destined for Santos on Tuesday Commenting for this story is now closed.If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page Two Chinese policy banks to each set up 350 billion yuan financing window for BRI: Xi The yuan's share of international payments hit a record high of 3.71 percent in September and the currency .. Por um futuro em que as pessoas vivam em harmonia com a natureza Photos and graphics © WWF or used with permission. Text available under a Creative Commons licence a peaceful lagoon or the chance to explore a deep gorge Stay in a schist villageThe interior of central Portugal, with its mountain ranges and rivers, ispeppered with castles and little villages with houses made from schist This brownish-grey metamorphic rock has a flat sheet-like structure and was used to build hamlets up in the hills (it’s also the terroir of the Douro valley and some Azores vineyards) but many homes lay neglected for years as people left to find work these places have been rejuvenated with visitors drawn to a slow pace of life and an EU-funded restoration project has begun Olhão is an old fishing town with amazing markets and sunsets that set the sky ablazeFaro station is the first stop on one section of the Linha do Algarve the state-run train line that takes in the towns of Olhão and Tavira and ends at Vila Real de Santo António service that allows you to cover some of the loveliest places in the region without hiring a car whether on day trips or a multicentre break Olhão – a seven-minute train ride from Faro – is a once down-at-heel old fishing town (that has not yet been too gentrified) with amazing markets great light (many artists have gone to live here) and sunsets that often set the sky ablaze Trains from Faro serve the quieter eastern Algarve from Faro Photograph: AlamyTavira – 29 minutes away – is much more manicured than Olhão and thus has far more tourists The town is split between the banks of the Gilão River – crossed by the Ponte Romana Bridge – and has Moorish remnants amid baroque architecture Ilha de Tavira, with its glorious long beach and funky bars with chairs in the sand, is just a short ferry ride away. A Muralha is a simple newly renovated hotel (double rooms from €80 B&B) Total journey time across four stops is just over an hour A wooden walkway above the Rio Paiva. Photograph: Luis Fonseca/Getty ImagesWooden walkways – passadiços – almost on the edge of the Rio Paiva bring you as close to nature as possible in the Arouca Geopark just under an hour’s drive south-east of Porto The journey allows close access to examine the biology geology and history of the area as written in the landscape the Gola do Salto and the Espiunca geological fault The route towards from Areinho to Espiunca is the least physically demanding though there’s a steep climb at the start – watch out for the heat and don’t wear jeans There’s an Indiana Jones-esque bridge across the river for the brave – it wobbles when you cross it – and a river beach at Vau for a swim The Paiva in spate is a thrill for whitewater rafters Staircases take you up past steep slopes and rocky drops to 516 Arouca which at 516 metres is one of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges in the world The metal grid under your feet affords a clear view of everything below One of the 300-million-year-old pedras boroas (birthing stones) in Arouca Geopark. Photograph: JoaoMartinsARC/Getty ImagesArouca is home to the Trilobite Museum with some of the largest fossils in the world and the uninhabited “magic” village of Drave which can only be accessed on foot (it’s a two and a half mile hike) sits 600 metres above sea level and is between three mountain ranges The area is also the pasture for Arouquesa cattle Ria Formosa. Photograph: Getty ImagesThe Ria Formosa lagoon is protected from the Atlantic by five barrier islands all with some lovely beaches (probably the quietest in the Algarve) an often-empty beach right at the tip of Ilha da Fuseta is the home of four houseboats for rent (two for two people You can only reach your boat or the mainland at the twice-daily high tide is spectacular: it’s perfect for dipping in and out of the ria swimming over to the island and crossing for a swim in the sea fishing from your back deck or simply sitting on your roof drinking beer featured trips and local tips for your next break as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays And the town of Olhão is a short train ride away This includes check-in at Fuseta ticket office and a water taxi to and from your houseboat Roman stepping stones across the Tâmega in Chaves Photograph: Ruibento/Getty ImagesThe Estrada Nacional 2 – the old Estrada Real de Portugal known as the N2 or EN2 – is like the backbone of Portugal the road is just under 460 miles long and takes in 11 districts It cuts down the entire length of the country starting in the city of Chaves in Trás-os-Montes (where there’s a 0km sign) and runs through the whole Douro wine region bicycle or on foot – unfolds the diversity of the country Travelling the road allows you to discover how Portuguese cuisine changes from region to region At Chaves, head to the tourist office to pick up an Estrada Nacional 2 passport – which has a page for stamps from each of the regions on the route’s tourist offices The N2 journey can be done in two to five days’ driving Cyclists can do it in five days but most do it in seven to 10 days Read moreIn the Alentejo, a large section of the road is flat, and the landscape a little samey – cork trees and small towns – so it is worth straying off the route to the region’s capital, Évora (half an hour), and its traditional restaurant Fialho. Boutique Évora Olive hotel is a delight (double rooms and breakfast from €67) The brilliant twists and turns of the Serra do Caldeirão bring you to the Algarve section of the road and into Estói, where you can stay in its 19th-century palace, Pousada Palácio Estói (rooms from €136 a night) where you can pick up your final passport stamp and hit the beach A restored house in Aldeia da PedralvaAldeia da Pedralva was once home to 100 people but in 2006 this village of one-storey cottages had just nine residents left The buildings were falling into disrepair and many houses were uninhabitable This sorry state of affairs saddened António Ferreira who bought some of the cottages one by one then asked his Portuguese friends to crowdfund in a bid to save the whole place and turn it into a kind of village hotel but remaining faithful to the original design As much of the old furniture has been refurbished as possible in the 26 restored houses, which all now have internet. There’s a restaurant, Sítio da Pedralva Pedralva is just 13 minutes from to the beach at Praia do Amado and the other beaches of the Costa Vicentina are within easy reach