MONTIS – Associação de Conservação da Natureza

MONTIS – Associação para a Gestão e Conservação da Natureza is a non-profit environmental non-governmental organisation established on 21 March 2014, with its headquarters in Vouzela, in the Viseu district of central Portugal. As of August 2025, the association has 345 members and manages approximately 313 hectares across 34 properties in central Portugal and four additional properties in the Lisbon area. The organisation's mission is to produce biodiversity through sustainable, participatory, transparent, and open natural heritage management. Its vision centres on managing land to generate value through biodiversity conservation, and its distinguishing approach lies in the concrete acquisition and active stewardship of properties, guided by a long-term, adaptive strategy grounded in measurable results. MONTIS pursues four central objectives: ensuring the development of natural processes; promoting the conservation of native species; intelligently managing forest fires and other natural risks; and increasing the market value of biodiversity. The association operates across diverse ecosystems, from the Serra d'El Rei near Peniche to the Terra Fria Transmontana region, where it carries out biodiversity surveys and supports local conservation efforts, including the preservation of native breeds such as the Miranda donkey. The association organises a broad programme of public engagement activities, including monthly volunteer days focused on habitat restoration tasks such as controlling eucalyptus regrowth, bimonthly biodiversity walks in different regions of Portugal, butterfly bioblitzes, and educational visits. These events are open to members and the wider public, reflecting MONTIS's commitment to transparency and inclusive conservation. MONTIS actively seeks community support to expand its conservation portfolio through new property acquisitions, welcoming new members and donations as part of its participatory model.