The 18th of December the storm Elsa striked Portugal and Spain and the 19th the storm Fabian slammed again. At Faia Brava fell more than 100mm water in one week, with the result that the river Coa turned in a swirling river and little streams, dry in the summer, turned in wild flowing brooks. Still the long, dry period in our mind, it is weird to see so much water flowing to the ocean. All that water resulted in large ponds, which we had not seen for ages. This raised the question, can we store that water in an ecological or sustainable way? Can we prevent that water leaks quickly through the ‘walls’ of these ponds? The answer is to improve the retention capacity of these ponds, by using impermeable materials such as clay, better compaction and improving the shrub diversity that allows them to increase their structure.

But not all is good news, this storm has destroyed our tree nursery and so we have to join forces to set up this very important structure for the realization of ATNature's mission to continue reforesting the Faia Brava Reserve with native trees, an important measure for reducing the effect of Climate Change and improving soil structure in the Reserve.

Nature recovery: a key solution for our climate and biodiversity emergencies

12 December 2019, rewilding organisations from 15 different European countries are calling for a wilder Europe and the inclusion of rewilding in the European Green Deal and EU Biodiversity Strategy post-2020. This has the potential to significantly mitigate climate change and reverse biodiversity decline.

11th of December EU commissioner Frans Timmermans presented the European Green Deal in Brussels. While this document is very ambitious on climate actions, ATNatureza believes with Rewilding Europe, that the deal should place far more emphasis on nature-based solutions and large-scale nature recovery to help tackle both the current climate and biodiversity emergencies.

By providing and enhancing nature-based solutions, rewilding can help to mitigate and overcome a whole range of societal challenges. Working with nature can – in a timely and cost-effective way – protect us from flooding and coastal erosion, minimise the threat of wildfire, secure drinking water supplies, ensure human health and wellbeing, and drive economic growth. Rewilding is also one of the most practical and cost-effective ways of mitigating climate change, and helps to boost climate resilience. For more information: https://rewildingeurope.com/news/nature-recovery-a-key-solution-for-our-climate-and-biodiversity-emergencies/

Remember the Red Kite that was delivered to ATNatureza on the 24th of November?! The bird could not fly and was easily caught by people from the village of Escalhão. It was transported by SEPNA-GNR from Vilar Formoso (Environment Police Agency) to CERVAS - Center for Ecology, Recovery and Surveillance of Wildlife where it was treated and fully recovered.

The bird had a broken wing as a result of a collision with an electrical wire, but its treatment was successful, culminating with a rather quick recovery. For its return we had 66 children from kindergarten Ana Paula Foundation who after watching a small puppet theatre about "Rupis and its adventures", had contact with the bird and watched it being returned to nature.

The Red Kite is a bird of prey with two distinct populations in this Region: the breeding (Critically endangered) and the wintering population (mainly individuals coming from Central and Northern Europe, with Vulnerable status) The Red Kite is a target species of the Life Rupis project of which ATNatureza is a partner and actively works to conserve and minimize risks that affect this and other project target species.

Learn more about the Rupis project: http://www.rupis.pt/en/ 

During the 2018-2019 school year, 5th graders (currently in the 6th grade) developed a project in the area of ​​Citizenship and Development on the theme of Animal Welfare in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo (FCR). During the project, among other things, these students made books for sale about biological pesticides (PB). Students would like to encourage people to use biological pesticides over chemical pesticides, which may endanger animals and insects. The money raised from the sale of these books (€ 94,00 !) was handed over last Monday to the Association Transhumance and Nature (ATNature). We want to express our thanks and announce that it has already been used to purchase supplementary food for horses and is already being used to feed a slightly weakened Sorraia mare.

A good word to the Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo School Group for its work and for raising students' awareness of such important causes.

NOTE: If you want one of the last copies of this book visit the  Association headquarters. Go quickly before before there are no more copies left!

Do you remember the Junça Faia Brava mare that was found by our biologist Ana Nunes and the field workers and was treated with a serious injury to her left hind leg ?!

Thanks to the quick intervention of the ATNAtureza team Junça had access to medical care including honey dressings, in case to say that Faia Brava honey makes miracles !! And soon Junça was healthy and is already with her herd. Book a date and come visit us, and you might be lucky enough to see Junça with her herd.