Rewilding Portugal: Making Portugal a Wilder Place
- MOYO Training
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
© Rewilding Portugal / Marcus Westberg
At MOYO Training Foundation, our mission is to foster a nature-positive future by connecting people and nature. We believe that truly regenerative travel and well-being must be rooted in supporting the restoration of wild nature.
That’s why we are incredibly proud to partner with organisations like Rewilding Portugal, whose work actively breathes life back into the landscape and supports the communities that live alongside it.
We recently sat down with Fernando Teixeira, Director of Communications and Enterprise at Rewilding Portugal, to discuss the inspiring, multifaceted work they are undertaking in the Greater Côa Valley.
An Opportunity for the Wild
Rewilding Portugal is a non-profit dedicated to promoting ecological resilience in the Greater Côa Valley. This stunning region of northern Portugal has been heavily affected by a familiar challenge: rural depopulation, land abandonment, and a resulting loss of biodiversity. Yet, where many see a problem, Rewilding Portugal sees a unique opportunity for large-scale nature recovery.
The organisation’s core aim is to create a wilder, more self-sustaining landscape. This is achieved by restoring natural processes, strengthening ecological connectivity, and supporting the return of key wildlife. Fernando, who has been with Rewilding Portugal almost since its inception, describes the scope of their work as constantly evolving and varied.
As Director of Communication and Enterprise, his day-to-day work is never the same. It involves connecting with the media, managing the organisation's public image, and, most crucially, developing the nature-based economy that is essential to the project's long-term success. His role bridges the vital gap between ecology and economy, ensuring that the return of wild nature directly translates into tangible benefits and opportunities for local people.
Wild Nature and Vibrant Communities
© Rewilding Portugal / Marcus Westberg
A key part of the vision—and one that aligns so closely with MOYO's philosophy of regenerative tourism—is the relationship between a flourishing ecosystem and thriving local livelihoods. Rewilding Portugal works closely with local communities, actively helping to develop nature-based economies so that conservation and local livelihoods can succeed together.
This approach transforms the narrative from one of struggle to one of hope and opportunity. By restoring natural processes and rebuilding ecological connectivity, they are creating a thriving natural landscape that benefits local people. This effort is the heart of what Nature Positive Tourism means in practice: tourism that actively protects and supports the environment and the people who call it home.
Fernando passionately shares the ultimate goal:
"Our approach is about restoring natural processes, rebuilding ecological connectivity and supporting the return of wildlife, while also helping local communities benefit from a thriving natural landscape”.
Restoring Natural Processes: The Practical Work of Rewilding
Rewilding Portugal’s efforts are highly practical, focusing on re-establishing the ecological processes that sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems. Two of the most visually dramatic examples of this work involve bringing back what Fernando calls the “natural engineers” of the landscape.
Natural Grazing with Large Herbivores
One key to managing the landscape is reintroducing large herbivores to act as natural grazers. Unlike traditional domestic livestock farming, this approach encourages a free-ranging, semi-wild population, allowing animals to shape the environment naturally. Rewilding Portugal has successfully reintroduced species like the Sorraia Horses (semi-wild horses indigenous to Portugal) and Tauros, a back-breeding programme to restore the ecological role of the extinct Auroch.
These grazers create a mosaic landscape—a patchwork of grasslands, scrub, and woodland —by feeding and moving across the terrain. This natural thinning of vegetation has a profound benefit, acting as a natural firebreak and significantly reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires, a major threat to the region.
The Vital Role of Scavengers and Predator Recovery
The recovery of key species is another pillar of Rewilding Portugal's work. The region's top predators, such as the Iberian Wolf and Iberian Lynx, are essential for maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. The return of large grazers and prey animals (like roe and red deer) is a key part of supporting their comeback.
Rewilding Portugal is heavily involved in the LIFE Lupi Lynx project, which focuses on enhancing the conservation status of both the Iberian Wolf and the Iberian Lynx, not just by monitoring them, but by restoring the entire food web they depend on.
Equally vital are the scavengers. Species like the Griffon and Cinereous Vultures play a critical, often-overlooked role in ensuring ecosystem health by cleaning up carcasses and preventing the spread of disease. By restoring the natural circle of life, the landscape becomes cleaner and more resilient.
© Rewilding Europe (vulture) / Daniel Allen (wolf)
People and Prosperity: Building the Wild Côa Network
The rewilding of a landscape must be mutually beneficial, and that is where the 'Enterprise' side of Fernando's title—and MOYO’s mission—comes into full effect. The greatest long-term security for a rewilding project comes from ensuring the local economy is invested in its success.
Rewilding Portugal has spearheaded the creation of the Wild Côa Network, a consortium of small, nature-based local businesses, including accommodation and restaurants, as well as guided tours and experiences.
© Rewilding Portugal / Marcus Westberg
This Network demonstrates the concept of Nature Positive Tourism in practice: by protecting and enhancing the natural environment, they are creating a world-class tourism offering that attracts visitors, generates income for locals, and supports the maintenance of the wild areas. This transforms the narrative from one of rural struggle to one of hope and opportunity, proving that a flourishing ecosystem and thriving communities grow hand-in-hand.
A Generational Commitment
For Fernando and the entire team at Rewilding Portugal, this is not a short-term fix, but a "generation commitment". It is a living project that aims to leave a wilder, more biodiverse country for future generations. The work is a hopeful, forward-looking vision for the future of rural Portugal: one where healthier ecosystems, vibrant wildlife, and sustainable local economies grow hand in hand, in coexistence.
Fernando aims to inspire people to engage more actively with rewilding in the Greater Côa Valley.
What can you do?
Turn your inspiration into concrete support for a wilder, more resilient landscape!
Explore: Plan a visit to the Greater Côa Valley and support local nature-based businesses.
Connect: Follow Rewilding Portugal to discover more about their work, join their activities, or share the message of rewilding with others.
Immerse: “Contact us and come with us to experience and be immersed in the wildest side of Portugal,” Fernando invites.
Want to learn more about Nature Positive Tourism? Join us on our next training in March - more info and sign up here!