On 26 September 2025, the Fundação Gaspar Frutuoso (FGF) attended MACARONIGHT, the Macaronesian edition of the European Researchers’ Night, held at Pavilhão do Mar in Ponta Delgada, Azores. As representatives of SELINA, the FGF team engaged with the public through interactive outreach activities aimed at bringing science closer to society.

At the FGF booth, visitors were introduced to the Nature’s Benefits Card Game, developed by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This engaging and competitive activity encouraged participants to take on the roles of various decision-makers and connect the communities they represent with the natural resources on which they depend.

Through the game, participants discovered how human actions shape the benefits ecosystems provide, and how competition for these resources can threaten sustainability. At the same time, they learned that cooperation between stakeholders helps preserve nature’s contributions for the benefit of all.

The activity offered an engaging and accessible introduction to the basic principles of ecosystem accounting, which aligns with the goals of SELINA, aimed at integrating ecosystem services and natural capital accounting into decision-making processes throughout Europe.

By joining MACARONIGHT, FGF partners strengthened SELINA’s mission to bridge the gap between research, policy, and society, while sparking the curiosity of younger generations about science and sustainability.