On the slopes of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, in the heart of the Greater Côa Valley, Quinta Vale do Tourão is much more than a farm – that’s what makes it so special and committed to the Wild Côa Network, of which it is a member. It is the reflection of a conscious return to the land, where nature and people find their place again. After a decade in France, Telma Lourenço and Xavier Mendo decided to return to their origins and transform the family farm into a living space of reconnection – with the landscape, with rural heritage and with natural cycles.

A three-year study in Portugal’s Greater Côa Valley has shown that grazing by free-roaming, semi-wild horses can help to reduce the risk of wildfire outbreaks and enhance biodiversity in Mediterranean landscapes. It has also highlighted the fact that when groups of different herbivores graze the same landscapes, this may be even more effective at reducing fire risk.

After centuries of absence, evidence of the presence of the European beaver (Castor fibre) in Portuguese territory has finally emerged, following monitoring by Rewilding Portugal in a border area with Spain. The natural dispersal of this true river engineer to Portuguese territory represents not only the return of a species that was once locally extinct, but also one of the most significant steps in the aquatic rewilding of our rivers in Portugal.

Rewilding Europe and Rewilding Portugal are excited to introduce Wilder Places – a new travel booking platform in the making. As part of Rewilding Europe’s commitment to scaling up rewilding tourism in the different countries it operates, for example in Portugal in partnership with us, Wilder Places will soon offer nature-loving travellers meaningful, impactful experiences across our thriving rewilding landscapes. Sign up now to stay informed.

With the help of Rewilding Portugal, the first landowner in Portugal’s Greater Côa Valley was recently granted a license to leave livestock carcasses in the field. This milestone moment for vulture conservation will hopefully lead to the award of many more licenses, amplifying the benefits for these iconic scavengers, local farmers, and society.

Published in the scientific journal Fire Ecology, it looks at what are the variables associated with wildfire occurrence in the Greater Côa Valley in the period of 2001-2020. This study give more insights about fire history and risk factors, showing that efforts to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire outbreaks in Mediterranean regions could benefit from a more holistic approach to landscape management that takes account of various ecological, socio-economic, and climatic factors. Rewilding can have a key role to play in such an approach.

Over the past six years, Rewilding Portugal has undertaken a wide range of actions to enable the natural recovery of Iberian wolves south of the Douro River. In collaboration with local partners and supported by the European Commission, the “LIFE WolFlux” initiative has provided a strong foundation for ongoing work aimed at securing a brighter future for this iconic keystone species.

Shot by renowned Portuguese wildlife filmmaker Joao Cosme, “Wilder Côa” is a visually stunning documentary portraying nature and rewilding in Portugal’s Greater Côa Valley. A recent premiere in Lisbon attracted an audience of more than 200 guests, helping the Rewilding Portugal team raise the profile of the landscape and their ongoing efforts.

Climate change is increasing the risk of catastrophic wildfire outbreaks in Mediterranean regions. A new study, based on the Greater Côa Valley in Portugal, shows that adopting a holistic approach to landscape management could be the most effective way of preventing such outbreaks, with rewilding playing a key role.

Gonçalo Ferreira, a student at ISCAP in Porto, has completed his bachelor’s degree with a thesis dedicated to the impacts of the Wild Côa Network project on the socio-economic development of the Greater Côa Valley, namely through its value-added tourist attraction. The conclusions show a positive and noticeable impact with the capacity to grow even more in the near future. The full article can now be consulted.