Tree Fund for the Micro Reserve at Moinhos do Dão

At the moment of writing it is November 10th and we are closing this campaign with a sense of gratitude.

Between the GoFundMe donations and those we received directly to our bank account we are at € 725! 

That means we can plant more trees! 

 

A BIG THANK YOU to all who donated and shared and to Alvamater forestry services  for giving us a very good price on the trees.  

For ongoing updates on the project pls visit our website. 

 

 

The original Campaign text: 

 

The Dão valley around Moinhos do Dão is becoming a Micro Reserve and you can help it grow!

 

What is a Micro Reserve? The best way we can describe it at this point is: A Micro Reserve is small plot of land where an effort is made to conserve and restore nature with the goal of providing habitat and being a stepping stone for endemic flora and fauna.

 

 

The Micro Reserve initiative stems from our fire prevention efforts and the removal of invasive species that we started 5 years ago on the hillside across the quinta. With the help of interns and volunteers and the Pullerbear tools we were able to buy through the 2017 Fire Prevention Campaign, we started learning how to speed up the natural process for this area to become a native forest again. The work includes: removing part of the dry shrubs, mulching, seeding and planting native trees. We are also integrating a small % of fruit and nut producing trees which is one way of incentivizing future maintenance and an additional way the forest can fulfill our human needs.

 

 

Thanks to the involvement of our interns Lisa, Lea and Sophia from International Forest Ecosystem Management studies and Wwoofers (volunteers) Rory, Mary Ellen and David we are getting good results from both the physical and intellectual work that is involved. Sophia and Lea are now helping us integrate scientific methods, an online mapping tool  and we are working towards a method that can be replicated. The larger goal is for the Micro Reserve at Moinhos do Dão is to serve as a pilot to support the creation of a network of owners of 'minifundios' (small plots of land) who want to commit to declaring their land as a Micro Reserve and apply a set of conservation techniques that bring forth the regrowth and resilience of native forests. The network project will be part of the activities of a new association that we are part of called: Ruralis

 

 

This is how you can be part of growing the Micro Reserve initiative:

In the last few weeks a lot of work has been done on the land to prepare for the next round of planting trees. We have identified which trees have the best survival rates and will plant the following species: Cork Oak, Holm Oak, Pyrenean Oak, Hawthorn, Strawberry tree, Parasol Pine, Olive, Almond and Hazel. The plan is to plant 200 trees this November and buy these from a local nursery that is specialized in native trees at a price of € 2,- each = € 400,- total.  Our goal is to reach this amount by November 8th so we have time to buy and plant during the month of November which is the best month for planting.  

So, you decide how many trees you want us to plant, make your donation to the Go Fund Me campaign an we'll Go Ahead and plant!

Your contribution will benefit biodiversity, fire prevention, endemic forest restoration, erosion control, the aesthetic value of the landscape and carbon sequestration. Just as every Micro Reserve counts, so does every donation. 

 

Thanks so much for considering, we are looking forward to your responses.

Send us an email if you have questions.

 

With gratitude,

Steven, Freya, Lisa, Lea, Sophia, Rory, Mary Ellen and David