The field week for the third year students of the Degree in Geology at the Faculty of Sciences of Lisbon, included a lecture on the Life Ribermine project and a field trip to the Lousal Pilot Project. This visit took place on April 29th 2022, within the scope of the suject “Field Geology II”, taught by Professor Filipe Rosas, and 31 students were present. Jorge Relvas, President of the CCVLousal and Professor at the University of Lisbon, gave the lecture, which was followed by the field trip, also accompanied by Mónica Martins (CCVLousal).
Lecture given by Jorge Relvas, on the Life Ribermine project, focusing on the Lousal Pilot Project.
Group on the “road of pyrites”, in front of the restored area in Lousal.
For many of those present, it was a first opportunity to get to know, in practice, a mining ecological restoration project, having asked several questions and showing themselves to be very interested in all the techniques and procedures carried out. They were particularly pleased with the necessary interdisciplinarity of the practical implementation of a project with the holistic characteristics of Life Ribermine, and with the landscape quality that this area presents today.
For Life Ribermine, these contacts with future professionals in the field of geology and geotechnics, who can potentially be working in mining restoration in the future, are extremely important!
Stop at the beginning of the bioremediation system. The small acidic water pond, downstream of the restored area, had a red color and pH between 1 and 1.5, before restoration. At this moment, just 5 months after the intervention, the waters are already showing a more bluish color and a pH close to 3.
In this field trip, future geologists from the University of Lisbon, got to know for the first time a mining ecological restoration project and observed in situ the practical results of the application of the Best Available Techniques of Life Ribermine in Lousal, and were very enthusiastic about the project!
