We are glad to announce that Fundo Ambiental 2020 has approved Quintal do Forno’s project. The project is under the appeal “Nature and biodiversity conservation, biodiversity management and strengthening of natural capital”. So, sleeves up, it is time to work!
We are engaging three owners of 114 acres of land within the Serra da Estrela Natural Park in Portugal.
The project has two aims: manage the land and enhance this capacity; and explore economic models based on ecosystem services, to support management costs. To achieve them, firstly we will increase our knowledge about the current natural capital in the different properties of the project. Then we will reinforce it by reducing the invasive species and promoting the natural regeneration of native ones. Finally, we will put measures in place to protect the soil and increase carbon capture in the landscape.
The project has three types of activities: management, technical studies, and practical trials.
Regarding management of the properties, we will require a third party to clean the land affected by the wildfires of 2017. This work is quite relevant, especially in one of the properties where there are centenary trees.
The technical studies will focus on conservation values to preserve, soil sampling and analysis, the biomass productivity of brushwood, and a preliminary study on middle and short-distance walking trails.
Finally, we will be carrying out practical trials on brushwood composting, agricultural and natural regeneration practices, biochar production, all within the Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela setting.
This is an ambitious project and we will be busy the next few months. However, the greatest challenge is the time frame, as it should be executed from September to December 2020, and within this pandemic context. Time to work indeed!
Photos: Gabriela Caldeira Cabral and Beatriz Santamaría
