A Rocha Portugal

A Rocha Portugal is part of the international A Rocha network, an environmental organisation founded on Christian values that has been active in Portugal since 1983. Based at Cruzinha, its bird observatory and field study centre in the Algarve, the organisation develops scientific research to better understand and protect important species and high-value natural habitats, particularly in coastal wetland ecosystems such as the Ria de Alvor and Lagoa dos Salgados. Beyond research, A Rocha Portugal actively promotes habitat conservation in cooperation with local communities, schools, governmental bodies and other environmental organisations. Its long-running environmental education programme, active for over 27 years, engages schools and the wider public in fieldwork-based learning, complementing national science curricula and training teachers in partnership with organisations such as Centro de Formação Rui Grácio and Ciência Viva. Throughout the year, Cruzinha hosts students and volunteers from around the world who take part in ongoing projects, gaining professional experience, additional training in their fields of study, and the opportunity to live in an intercultural, community setting. The organisation partners with universities such as Cardiff University and Universidade do Algarve, ringing associations, and regional bodies such as the Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente, combining scientific rigour with a strong ethic of care for both nature and people. Guided by its motto 'Crer, Cuidar e Transformar' (Believe, Care, Transform), A Rocha Portugal seeks to raise environmental awareness, foster critical thinking about ecological citizenship, and contribute to lasting change in attitudes and behaviours towards the natural world.