Guardians Portugal
Floresta Portelas is part of a 121 hectare network of protected woodland in Penamacor, Beira Baixa. Situated at the foothills of Serra Malcata, a national biodiversity and rewilding hotspot, Portelas is owned by Guardians Worldwide and dedicated to the protection of native trees, native soils and biodiversity.
Our programme of work in Portugal is devoted to the development of a Living Lab. We are managing and stewarding Portelas Forest Reserve as a living laboratory-- a space for nature protection, reforestation and rewilding. The forest is also a space for action research, creative exploration and outdoor education.
We are developing the Living Lab model as an off-grid, outdoor alternative to urban forms of teaching and learning, and for cutting edge climate science and research aimed at advancing local economy, sustainability, renewable energy and social innovation in the Portuguese interior.
Floresta de Portelas lies a few miles south of Serra Gardunha and Serra Malcata, which mark the ecological boundary between Northern and Southern Portugal, in a land corridor characterized by mild micro-climate and the abundance of surface water. Our aim is to steward the land for research, action and community work around reforestation and land regeneration.
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The land has an elevation of 576 meters. It is part of the granite ridge of Monsanto, near the Spanish and Portuguese border.
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The land is dominated by four different species of native oak: namely, cork oak (quercus suber), holly oak (quercus ilex), holm oak (quercus rotundifolia) and common oak (quercus robur). There are numerous smaller species on site like strawberry trees (arbutus unedo), native shrubs, as well as a variety of aromatic and medicinal plants.
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Cork oak or ‘sobreiro’ is the national tree of
Portugal. It is a protected species under Decree-
Law No. 169/2001, although the first tree
protection status was made in 1546 when King
Joao III forbade the cutting of this tree, making
this one of the oldest protected trees in the world.
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The area is rich in wildlife and biodiversity. The
area is known as Portugal’s biodiversity and
rewilding hotspot, with lynxes, wolves and bison
reintroduced in neighbouring lands.
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It is vital to support the guardianship of Montado as this ecosystem faces numerous threats including overgrazing, soil erosion and in more vulnerable areas, extreme problems including wildfires, desertification and abandonment.
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