This initiative is supported by the Portimão City Council and the Elaine Bain Family Trust. “Plant a School” is a national Mother Earth program, implemented by regional centers, whose aim is to improve the environment of individual schools and raise young people’s awareness about the benefits of planting trees in the current context of climate crisis and the need for environmental preservation.

Concrete actions undertaken by students and their local educational community, such as planting trees and improving their school's environment, foster awareness that simple individual actions can together improve the greater, global environment. In subsequent academic years, this direct experience will be reinforced by carrying out activities aimed at further raising students’ awareness concerning environmental issues and sustainable development goals, thus promoting environmental eco-citizenship and responsibility. In particular, the program seeks to educate young people about the importance of indigenous forests in the preservation of ecosystems in Portugal and across the planet.

In essence, students will be challenged to take part in the defence of their local environment and to actively participate in community decision-making processes, thereby contributing to a greater awareness of the importance of the environment in their day-to-day lives. In addition to Portimão, this program is simultaneously taking place initially this month in schools in Setúbal, Penafiel, and Vila Nova de Cerveira.