Associação Vita Nativa

Associação Vita Nativa monitors and inventories biodiversity, runs environmental education programmes and works on habitat conservation in ecosystems such as the Ria Formosa. It is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit association for environmental conservation, founded in 2018 in the Ria Formosa Natural Park in Olhão, Algarve. A group of professionals with backgrounds in nature conservation and environmental management set it up. They came together because they saw the need for an active, coordinated response to pressing environmental problems they had identified in the region. The association promotes the study and conservation of nature, works to raise awareness of Portugal's natural heritage and argues for the active protection of ecosystems and the services they provide. Its team is multidisciplinary and sets out to bring new perspectives and practical approaches to a wide range of environmental issues. Alongside the monitoring and education work, Vita Nativa runs sustainability projects and community activities, such as creative writing sessions in natural parks and events celebrating nature. Its partners include Forum Algarve, and it has received support from the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. Conservation work is organised in thematic nuclei (*núcleos*). The Núcleo Tejo, for instance, inventories species and monitors ecosystems in the Tagus basin. New members, volunteers and institutional partners who want to help protect Portugal's natural environment are welcome to join.