CIMAT Forest Sappers take Magusto to the Region’s School Groups
Some members of the Forest Sapper Brigades of the Alto Tâmega e Barroso Intermunicipal Community (CIMAT) will be visiting all of the region’s school groups on Thursday and Friday, November 9 and 10, respectively, in order to celebrate St. Martin’s Day with the school community.
Chestnuts are one of the most emblematic endogenous products of Alto Tâmega e Barroso and, for this reason, CIMAT has prepared a series of events to celebrate St. Martin in the region, namely the Magusto festival in the various school groups in the region. This educational event will serve to mark the date, while at the same time promoting the Padrela PDO chestnut, certified Organic, to the school community.
Serra da Padrela is one of Portugal’s main chestnut production centers, where you can find the largest continuous patch of chestnut trees in the entire Iberian Peninsula and the largest Jewish chestnut patch in Europe.
In order to make the most of this endogenous product, the Forest Sappers will be touring the various school groups in the area for two days with a chestnut roasting trolley. As well as marking the festive season and taking this opportunity to raise awareness and provide information about this endogenous product, which plays a very important role in the region’s financial balance, this initiative will also bring the school community into direct contact with these “protectors of the forest”, who play a very important role in preventing forest fires that could also put the region’s extensive chestnut groves at risk.
With this initiative, we are not only maintaining an important cultural tradition, but also raising environmental awareness and promoting safety against forest fires.
In addition to this initiative in schools, the Forest Sappers will also be in front of the Alto Tâmega e Barroso Tourist Office on Saturday, November 11, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., roasting chestnuts to distribute to everyone who passes by.
Schedule of the presence in the various school groups:
November 9th:
Fernão Magalhães School Group – (9am-11am)
Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Júlio Martins – Centro Escolar (2pm-4pm)
Dr. António Granjo School Group – (9am-11am)
Escola Profissional de Chaves – (2pm-4pm)
November 10th:
Vila Pouca de Aguiar School Group – (9am-11am)
Ribeira de Pena School Group – (2pm-4pm)
Gomes Monteiro School Group – (9am-11am)
Dr. Bento da Cruz School Group – (3pm-5pm)
Valpaços School Group – (9am-11am)
