Associação Cabeço Santo is a Portuguese environmental NGO dedicated to the ecological restoration of degraded landscapes on the western slopes of Serra do Caramulo, through the removal of invasive species and the reintroduction of native flora. Founded in 2019 and rooted in a project active since 2006, it engages volunteers and local communities in nature conservation and environmental education.
Associação Cabeço Santo (ACS) is an environmental non-governmental organisation (ONGA) headquartered in Feridouro, a small village in the parish of Belazaima do Chão, in the municipality of Águeda, Portugal. Established in 2019, the association was created to formally manage the Projecto Cabeço Santo, which had been running since 2006 under the umbrella of Associação Quercus.
Its primary focus is the ecological restoration of the Belazaima stream basin (Ribeiro de Belazaima), a tributary of the River Águeda. The landscape has suffered significant degradation due to inappropriate forestry practices involving exotic species and the spread of invasive plants. ACS works to reverse this damage by systematically removing invasive and exotic species, sowing and planting native flora, and carefully managing spontaneous vegetation to support the recovery of indigenous habitats over time.
Beyond hands-on restoration, ACS actively promotes citizen participation, organising regular volunteer working days that allow community members from the local and wider region to contribute directly to nature recovery. The association also collaborates with schools and educational institutions to deliver environmental and sustainability education programmes, and promotes the creation and signposting of walking trails so that visitors can experience and appreciate the restored landscape.
With approximately 150 subscribers to its online community, ACS brings together environmental enthusiasts, local residents, and institutions committed to biodiversity and landscape conservation in central Portugal.
