BioLiving – Associação para a Conservação da Natureza

BioLiving is an environmental NGO (ONGA) based in Albergaria-a-Velha, Portugal. It was founded in 2016 under the motto "Nature and Education for All", after more than a decade of prior work by its founders in nature conservation and environmental education. The association organises its work around four areas: nature conservation, environmental training and education, scientific monitoring and consultancy, and social inclusion. Its ecological restoration activities include tree planting, control of invasive exotic species, and building structures that support biodiversity. It also runs technical-scientific training, workshops, conferences and scientific field camps. One of its flagship efforts is the Lusitanica project, centred on micro-reserves in Canelas, Estarreja. Volunteers gather on the last Saturday of each month for "Sábados pela Natureza", clearing vegetation, removing invasive plants and maintaining a traditional water channel and mill. From July to November 2026, a related youth programme, "Lusitanica: Mãos na Natureza", runs every Wednesday and last Saturday, offering insurance and a daily allowance of €13 to volunteers aged 14 to 30, under the IPDJ's Youth Volunteering for Nature and Forests programme. BioLiving also organises public events such as an International Bat Night at Parque da Boca do Carreiro, guided by bat specialist Vanessa Mata, and an astronomy night at Quinta Ecológica da Moita with the FISUA association from the University of Aveiro. These activities are backed by partners including the Comunidade Intermunicipal da Região de Aveiro, the Albergaria-a-Velha municipality and Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Aveiro. The association counts around 1,500 followers on LinkedIn and continues to look for people to join its team and its volunteer base.