José Moreira da Silva, guardian of Portugal's first national park, remembered

An article traces the history of Peneda-Gerês National Park, Portugal's only national park, from its origins in a 1937 forestry thesis by Francisco Mimoso Flores through its formal inauguration in 1970 under first director Lagrifa Mendes. It highlights José Moreira da Silva, a close collaborator of Mendes, who took over leadership of the park in 1975 after the 1974 revolution forced Mendes out due to his ties to the Estado Novo regime. The piece credits the park's founders with pioneering ideas such as tiered protection zones balancing conservation with resident communities.