At MOYO, 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 is actively breathing life back into the landscape and supporting the communities that live alongside it.
We 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 media, managing the organisation’s public image, and most crucially, developing the nature-based economy that is essential for the long-term success of the project. 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
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 keep an ecosystem healthy and resilient. Two of the most visually dramatic examples of this work involve bringing back what Fernando refers to as the “natural engineers” of the landscape.
Natural Grazing with Large Herbivores
One key to managing the landscape is the reintroduction of 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.
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 everything from accommodation and restaurants to guided tours and experiences.
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.
Ready to explore the Greater Côa Valley? Check out our Journeys in Portugal now.
Images © Marcus Westberg / Rewilding Europe / Rewilding Portugal