15 December
Local Date: Dec 14 2024 |
Local Time: 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Apolónia Rodrigues is the founder and creator of the destination brand Dark Sky® and Dark Sky® Alqueva and president of Dark Sky® Association and the Rede de Turismo de Aldeia do Alentejo. She occupied leading roles on the European System of Tourism Indicators, the Tourism Sustainability Group, the Eureka European Tourism Advisory Committee, and the Task Force Indicators of the Network of European Regions for Sustainable and Competitive Tourism. Apolonia won numerous international awards including the Tourism Oscar from the World Travel Awards as Europe´s Responsible Tourism Award in 2019, the Sustainable Leadership Award 2020, the Corporate Travel Awards 2020, The Bizz and The Peak of Success 2020, the ACQ5 Country and Global Awards 2020, and the Sustainable Destinations Top 100 by Green Destinations. |
Aurea Rodrigues has a PhD in Tourism from the University of Aveiro, is an assistant professor in Tourism Studies and an affiliate researcher at CIDEHUS at the University of Évora. She collaborates as a researcher for Dark Sky Alqueva. Rodrigues has collaborated internationally with the Pennsylvania State University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Siena. Her main research interests are astrotourism, sustainable rural tourism development, consumer behavior in tourism, and marketing. She has authored and co-authored chapters in books, articles in national and international journals, and has made various communications and lectures at international and national conferences. |
Antonia Varela, managing director of the Starlight Foundation, has a PhD in Astrophysics from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris. She is a senior engineer of the IAC Sky Quality Group and of the Star Formation Group. Antonia has over a hundred scientific publications, as well 700+ contributions to popular science and the press. As a project advisor for the Agencia Nacional de Evaluación y Prospectiva, she worked on the site selection for the Gran Telescopio de Canarias, the European Extremely Large Telescope, and the Thirty Meter Telescope. Antonia is advisor and auditor of 19 Starlight Reserves and Tourist Destinations, sky quality certification granted by the Starlight Foundation and endorsed by UNWTO and the International Astronomical Union. She is director and teacher of numerous courses for Starlight guides, monitors and auditors. The Starlight Foundation recently won the 2019 LuxLife Global Hospitality Awards and the FiturNext 2020 Challenge Award. |
Miguel Claro is a Portuguese professional photographer, author and communicator astronomy science through public talks, stargazing sessions, articles, exhibitions and astrophotography workshops. He specializes in astro-photography of landscapes or Skyscapes (connecting the night sky with Earth elements; valuing the architectural, cultural and landscape heritage, as well as the Universe). He is the official astrophotographer of Dark Sky® Alqueva, a photo ambassador for the European Southern Observatory, a Space.com Contributor, and photographer member of The World at Night. He also was jury president of the international competition for the Photo Nightscape Award, has been a lecturer in two TEDx editions, and collaborates regularly with National Geographic (Portugal), Astronomy (USA), Astronomy Now (UK) and Ciel et Espace (France). |
CEO at Lumínica Ambiental. Degree in Physical Sciences specialized in lighting and light pollution. Master’s Degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering. For more than 15 years, she has been carrying out energy and outdoorlight audits, drafting of projects and their management plans, as well as legislation in this area. It also carries out assessments and measurements of the night sky quality (light pollution, seeing, transparency and cloud cover) for the management of this pollutant and obtaining certifications such as Reserve and Tourist Destinations Starlight, and other projects related to the preservation of the night sky and the development of Astrotourism. In early 2012, she founded Lumínica Ambiental, a technical office specializing in outdoor lighting and light pollution, with which she won: • “The first Emprendeverde award” from the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of the Environment of Spain. • The Official College of Physicist recognized her as “Physics of Excellence” taking part of the Network of Innovation and Professional Excellence in Physical Sciences and Technologies. • The Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Alava (AJEBASK ALAVA) recognized her with the award for the “Entrepreneur revelation of 2012”. • The Association of Professional Women and Entrepreneurs of Alava (AMPEA) awarded the award to the “Young businesswoman of 2013”. |
Ari Neiva has a degree in Civil Engineering and nowadays develops his activity in Parque Natural Regional do Vale do Tua since 2014. His tasks include providing support to the PNRVT Director and the coordination of these projects: • “Portas de Entrada do PNRVT”, essentially interactive spaces for the knowledge and promotion of the Tua Valley, these are places where tourists can go to look for information, ranging from fauna and flora to natural and cultural heritage, to obtain support, request services and purchase traditional products. • “Rede de Percursos Pedestres do PNRVT”, a Network of Pedestrian walking trails in the Regional Tua Valley Natural Park. • “Rede de Rotas de Birdwatching Vale do Tua”, a Network of Birdwatching Routes in the Tua Valley. • Tourist road Signs in the Regional Tua Valley Natural Park. • The Agricultural Pest Control by Bats Project • Dark Sky® Vale do Tua – Astrotourism in Vale do Tua |
Apolónia Rodrigues Moderator | |
Áurea Rodrigues Panelist | |
Antonia Varela Panelist | |
Miguel Claro Panelist | |
Susana Malón Panelist | |
Ari Neiva Panelist | |