In 2023, artistic expression is back in the Greater Côa Valley and art returns to the wild in this region. The “CÔA – Corridor of Arts” festival will have its first edition taking place in the summer of 2023, in the Greater Côa Valley. A festival that seeks to connect artists with communities in this natural environment, in order to co-create works of art that have integrated the landscape itself, using natural materials and respecting its natural decay.

Even in the rewilding approach, where a lot of the nature recovery processes take place largely on their own after some initial management interventions, it is important to monitor and measure the impact of the work carried out, in the medium- and long-term. In a process that requires space and time to be effective, it is essential to showcase results and changes of rewilding, an approach which will play a decisive role in the ecosystems of the future.

The duo of photographers Blue Nomads, composed by the couple Susana Silvestre and Ricardo Ferreira, spent two weeks carrying out a photographic mission in the Greater Côa Valley, with the goal of capturing through their lenses the work carried out by Rewilding Portugal, as well as all the natural heritage of the surrounding region. In their own words, let’s travel through this article with this incredible duo to learn more about their experience.

Aukje van Gerven is responsible for organising and the co-creator and of Rewilding Europe’s rewilding tourism trainings. Here, she talks about the Greater Côa Valley, the initiatives developed so far and the potential of this territory.

Rewiding Portugal and the Municipality of Sabugal came together to carry out the second edition of the nature photography contest “Rewilding Photo Contest”, an edition that brought many news and more attractive monetary prizes. Comunidade Cultura e Arte was also once again a communication partner for this photo contest and the winners were announced today.

Paulo Poço is the technical director of ACRIGUARDA, an organization of livestock producers in the municipality of Guarda. In this interview we get to know him a little better, his vision for the territory and the role of Rewilding Portugal in the new paradigms of the sector.

João Cosme, renowned photographer and nature director, was responsible for all the footage in the documentary released by Rewilding Portugal at the end of 2020. An important ally in the transmission of the organization’s work abroad, as well as an ambassador of all the magnificence of the Portuguese natural heritage.

Over a period of one year, the Greater Côa Valley and its rewilding areas have been receiving an artistic residency, which is nothing less than a journey that covers the entire Côa Valley, and in which the objective will be , at the end of the entire creative process to develop an “impressionist video-sonic poem”, by the artist duo Antony Lyons and Bárbara Carvalho, who won the competition promoted by the Endangered Landscapes Programme.

The Sorraia horses that now live in Vale Carapito and Ermo das Águias and that will soon also be introduced to other properties in the Greater Côa Valley rewilding area, have an important mission to fulfil that has been lost over the ages with the extinction of the large wild herbivores in the landscape.

As part of the LIFE ENPLC project, in which Rewilding Portugal is a partner, the first Bioblitz was carried out in one of our rewilding areas, Ribeira do Mosteiro, in Freixo-de-Espada-à-Cinta. In partnership with TAGIS and being an activity framed in the schedule specially developed for this day, the event had the participation of the Symington Family Estates team.