Plantar uma Árvore

Plantar uma Árvore is an environmental association that works to restore and conserve native forests throughout Portugal, mostly with volunteers. It is based at Quinta de Miraventos in Palmela. Since it was founded, it has involved over 37,000 volunteers, logged more than 138,000 hours of volunteer work and run over 1,172 conservation initiatives. The work centres on hands-on restoration in the field, in some of Portugal's most ecologically important areas. These include the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, the Mata Nacional do Bussaco and the Reserva Natural Local do Barreiro. The year is split into two seasons. Maintenance runs from April to September, and trees go in during the cooler months, so the sites are looked after all year round. The association also runs interpretive guided visits on the ecology of Mediterranean flora, on techniques for restoring native plants, and on the medicinal and culinary uses of native species. Night-time butterfly-watching sessions introduce participants to the forest's biodiversity. Families, schools and corporate teams all take part in the conservation work. Plantar uma Árvore also hosts European Solidarity Corps volunteers, which brings people from other countries into the field. Native forest, the focus of all this work, controls soil erosion, regulates water, cycles nutrients, stores carbon and cleans the air. It also reduces the risk of fire and floods.