Associação NATIVA – Natureza, Invasoras e Valorização Ambiental

Associação NATIVA, based on Rua Alberto Dias Pereira in Coimbra, focuses on tackling invasive species in Portugal. Its main target is the Asian hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax, an invasive predator that threatens native bee populations. The association publishes practical guides, including instructions for building selective traps and homemade bait recipes using sugar, water and yeast. NATIVA runs public information sessions in municipalities such as Maia and Lousada, where it distributes traps and explains how to identify hornets, locate their nests, and report sightings. It also plans to cover invasive plant species, though that section of its work is still described as under development. The association operates a membership scheme, inviting people to join and support its mission of environmental valorisation through invasive species control. It maintains a public website with sections on invasive areas, frequently asked questions, and a gallery documenting its outreach activities, including sessions with local fire brigades and agricultural events. Contact details list a mobile phone number and an email address, and the organisation is formally registered with a Portuguese tax number. Beyond its educational sessions and published guides, specific membership numbers, founding date or funding sources are not stated. The project's activity, as shown through its published materials, centres on the years 2022 onward, with talks and trap distribution events documented across several municipalities in the north and centre of the country.