This fundraising campaign, promoted by The Vicentina Foundation, is dedicated to collect funds for nature regeneration actions in the Costa Vicentina and South West of Alentejo.

All funds collected are donated to Rewilding Sudoeste (RWSW), the primary organisation in the Portuguese Southwest that promotes the conservation and stewardship of native forests.

The Vicentina Foundation is a non-profit association committed to the preservation and regeneration of the Costa Vicentina and SouthWest of Alentejo's natural environment.

Our mission is anchored by two fundamental pillars: firstly, to educate and build awareness about the challenges confronting these vulnerable ecosystems, and secondly, to empower tourism to actively contribute to natural regeneration. The overarching goal is to generate financial resources to support carefully selected third-parties working on nature and biodiversity programs, as LIFE accredited projects.

Rewilding Sudoeste is currently working on a LIFE project supporting a vital habitat under serious threat, the sand dunes habitats, specifically the juniper sand grooves. Besides this project, this organisation is also monitoring temporary ponds (Charcos temporários mediterrânicos) in this region, a highly classified and valuable habitat that is also under threat and rapidly disappearing.

Fragile, dynamic habitats are particularly under threat due to intensive farming and tourism. Sand dunes constitute a living system, formed and moved by sediments transported and deposited by wind. Crossing of the dunes is one of the main causes of destruction of these habitats, putting the wildlife using this habitat at ground at risk.

Temporary ponds are seasonal flooded wetlands subjected to extreme and unstable ecological conditions, neither truly aquatic nor truly terrestrial. This habitat and its flora have especially been poorly studied and documented because of their ephemeral character, the changeable annual weather, and their declining abundance. Yet they are home to a myriad of important species.

RWSW is also responsible for the creation and management of one of the four existing Private Protected Areas in Portugal, the Private Protected Area Vale das Amoreiras in Aljezur. Besides this, this organization is also responsible for many other projects in the southwest of Portugal, the re-convertion of old eucalyptus plantations into native forests, several educational projects and actions, mapping of natural values and important habitats, and many many others initiatives.

All funds are utilized by Rewilding Sudoeste for these projects or for supporting new candidacies.

Show your REAL LOVE for the magic of the South West of Portugal.