Challenge "Taking care of Tapada together"

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

The challenge "Taking care of Tapada Together" took place on May 26th. This challenge was organized by EPIS - Entrepreneurs for Social Inclusion Association and counted with the presence of 770 volunteers - 425 professionals from 14 partners and 345 EPIS teachers and students.

In the same year National Palace of Mafra celebrates 300 years, the National Park Tapada de Mafra intends to recover the natural ecosystem - flora and fauna – similar to the time in which the Palace was built by D. João V, in 1717.

In the context of the Heritage of Mafra three-centenary celebration, EPIS carried out the largest volunteer action to clean up the forest and eliminate invading species in Tapada de Mafra.

Fourteen EPIS volunteering partners were present: Ascendum, CTT, Deutsche Bank, EDP, Galpenergia, Liberty Seguros, PWC, REN, Repsol, Santander Totta, Sesimbra City Council, Sapec, Sovena and Grupo Trivalor; and integrated students and teachers from EPIS schools in 8 municipalities: Almada, Amadora, Lisbon, Loures, Odivelas, Seixal, Setúbal and Sintra.

The challenge was to clean up the largest number of hectares with the largest number of volunteers. To this end, Ascendum has made available two machines - a VOLVO ECR 88 and a TEREX TLB 840, operated by Rogério Faustino, to clean up several hectares.

In addition, approximately 50 Ascendum employees/volunteers have removed wood material, joint for burning and leveling of the path between Tanques dos Infantes and Rua das Taipas.

This initiative, within the Social and Environmental Responsibility scope, also provided a unique opportunity for employees from the different locations of Ascendum in Portugal to share different experiences from their daily professional lives and to strengthen the ties that bind us to this great A-Team. It was a remarkable challenge, and we intend to replicate similar ones.

We appreciate the effort and commitment of everybody participating in this.