Rewilding Portugal launches today its annual report, which presents the progress made during 2020, including conservation actions for the Iberian wolf, the production of a new documentary and the establishment of several partnerships to reinforce the rewilding movement in Portugal.
A year of adaptation and resilience
Rewilding Portugal’s new annual report, for the year 2020, is now available online and for pre-order in physical support. This annual report brings great news to improve the experience of those interested in knowing more about the organization and the rewilding approach to nature conservation, as well as the work being carried out in the field, in a more graphic concept that increases the proximity between the organization and the audience.
This year, Rewilding Portugal launches the Wild 2020 magazine to highlight everything that happened last year. At a time when the planet is facing the twin threats of climate change and biodiversity loss, it is increasingly important to present and celebrate success stories and concrete results of nature conservation actions.
The Greater Côa Valley rewilding area is an impressive region rich in biodiversity and is now undergoing a rewilding process through the work of Rewilding Portugal and its partners to make this region and Portugal a wilder place. This year, the organization celebrated two years of existence and 2020 was a year of learning and adaptation. The Covid-19 pandemic brought limitations and challenges, but also new opportunities.
Pedro Prata, Rewilding Portugal’s team leader, looks to 2020 as “a year that will go down in history. An unavoidable year due to the effects of the global pandemic on social dynamics, changes in cultural habits and the impact it had on our work”. Rewilding Portugal had to adapt to this new reality and adjust its action on the ground to the new constraints, looking at them as a new opportunity to make a positive difference. “Rewilding Portugal had to adapt so that we couple keep the momentum we had gained in 2019, when the organization was first established. It was immediately noticeable that the reduction in human activity on a global scale had a positive impact on ecosystem dynamics and wildlife populations. This highlighted the fact that a large part of nature conservation work is deeply social work.”, refers Pedro Prata.
The balance is still very positive, as confirmed by Pedro Prata. “It was a year of exponential development and great achievements that have benefited both people and an increasingly wild nature”.
The main milestones of 2020
One of Rewilding Portugal’s main milestones in 2020 was to create connections with local communities and showcase the work and projects taking place in the field. It is essential to involve people, especially in smaller communities, where the sense of community is even stronger and more predominant.
For this reason, several of Rewilding Portugal’s actions integrated the people nearby and made them an important part of the projects, creating the feeling of a common mission for a wilder Portugal. One of the great examples was the creation of a network of nature-based companies promoted by Rewilding Portugal – the Wild Côa Network – which aims to be a new way of exploring and discovering what the Greater Côa Valley has to offer and which unites various businesses of the region in a common vision of a wilder and more sustainable future. A joint movement of touristic operators that are already on the ground working with one voice and bringing common goals to life.
Local communities were also seen as essential to improve coexistence with large predators, namely the Iberian wolf. To this end, there were several field actions focused on this species: informative sessions with local communities; the creation of a documentary that explained in a practical and accessible way the work carried out by Rewilding Portugal in the field and its importance for biodiversity and for landscapes and ecosystems in Portugal; the creation of a surveillance team that is already operational and present in the region looking for illegal snares or signs of fire with the goal of reducing the various threats that exist to wildlife; the integration of livestock guarding dogs and the installation of effective wolf-proof fences, with the aim of protecting herds and flocks from predation by the Iberian wolf and then improving understanding of this fundamental species; the training of a veterinary team with the help of Grupo Lobo so that it can properly monitor the livestock guarding dogs and understand their specificities, etc.
It was a year of hard work on the ground, and it was rewarded with everyone’s involvement in this common goal of making Portugal a wilder country, richer in biodiversity and complete and functional ecosystems.
Where to read or order the Wild 2020 magazine?
Wild 2020 magazine is now available for free to read online and also available to pre-order in physical support. Those interested in reading it in digital format can already find it here:
For those interested in having the printed version of this annual report and at the same time support nature conservation actions in Portugal, this is also possible by filling out this online form. The Wild 2020 magazine has a cost of 6 euros (plus VAT) and can be sent to any corner of the world, with the addition of shipping costs depending on the destination. After completing the form, you will receive all payment details via email and receive the magazine at home. Then, you can have an even more direct and personalized contact with Rewilding Portugal and support the rewilding movement in Portugal.
If you want to support the work of Rewilding Portugal more frequently, it is possible to support the organization through Patreon with a small monthly contribution, which entitles subscribers to exclusive content about the organization’s work. The subscription can be cancelled at any time. To subscribe to the Rewilding Portugal Patreon, you just have to access this link: www.patreon.com/rewildingportugal.
