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.

My name is Rita Cristóvão and I’m the new Executive Director of ATN since October 2019. It was by chance that I found this wonderful opportunity to work in nature conservation, in a region that is very dear to me, due to family routes in Pínzio, to which I´m very emotionally attached to and where I spend most of my family vacations.

As a lover of nature, hiking and other nature sports, working at ATN is a dream come true since I was in high school and wanted to become a forest engineer. I ended up to become a manager in the healthcare sector, where I performed executive management roles, such as General Director in a private hospital center and Board Member in a public organization. I was also a free lance consultant before I met ATN.

I found the Faia Brava project and the mission of ATN, creating spaces for nature, unique and important, not only to protect nature and fight climate change, but also to promote local economic and social development in a part of the Portuguese territory that is being abandoned because of the lack of living opportunities, especially for the young people.

ATN has all the conditions and potential to become a case study, not only in Portugal but also internationally, in terms of forest protection and land management, as well as a significant promoter of local development in low population density areas.

I embraced this challenge because I believe that ATN can make the difference.

I will do everything in my power to make ATN better and greater, so everyone can enjoy and share the experiences they lived in our nature reserves. 

In the last week of October 2019, Jan Herman Meijer and his wife Jeanne van Beek made a survey for some day hikes from the village Algodres to the Faia Brava Reserve. Jan Herman is a volunteer for the Dutch Association for Long Distance Walking Routes and a friend of Faia Brava.

Jan Herman and Jeanne concluded that the area west of Algodres is very attractive for day hikes. There is only one paved road and all other tracks are not paved and most of them have beautiful stone walls. Looking over the walls you will enjoy the stunning views. In the area between Algodres and the Faia Brava Reserve you will find extensive agricultural, with almonds & olive orchards and vineyards. It is a bit hilly and there are several higher parts with big stones and a more dry vegetation (flowers and insects) and shrubs.

Jan Herman and Jeanne found a beautiful old path to a pigeon house which was marked as a dead end path on the map (Vinhalda Costela). In reality the path continued and it is an attractive part of a day hike. The proposed hikes are between 8 and 12 km long. The hikes make partial use of the Grande Ruta and the existing stonewalled paths in the fields. Two hikes depart from the centre of Algodres. For another hike they suggest to use the paved road and park in Devesa so you can hike to Saboia on the Grande Ruta and go back through the fields.

In the hikes you will discover the traditional pigeon houses and the small stone sheds that are built near the entrances of the fields. While walking eagles and vultures will fly over in the sky and maybe you meet a wild horse or a cow.

Jan Herman and Jeanne are sure that you will enjoy one of the tours!

The coming months we will develop and install the marks in the routes and we will make a poster with map and text, which will be installed in the village.

Who does not like mushrooms ?

On November 30th, at 9:00 am, ATNatureza, ", will hold "The Mushroom Walk" through the Faia Brava Reserve.

This is an excellent opportunity to welcome autumn and cold weather, explore the Faia Brava Reserve and learn more about the world of mushrooms.

For registration, contact us (966544220) or send us an e-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), with your full name, VAT number and date of birth (for insurance purposes).

The price for members is € 7.5 and for non-members is € 10 where, in addition to a visit to the Faia Brava Reserve, you can learn more about the mushrooms and enjoy a shared picnic
(bring a snack to share)

For these and for all reasons, there is no excuse for missing out on this activity.

We count on everyone! 

It will be a big day!

Meeting Point :

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