Reserva do Vale Velho

Reserva do Vale Velho is an ecological restoration and cultural preservation project located at Casal das Pias, a roughly 100-hectare property in the heart of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, Portugal. Acquired in 2018 after 15 years of agricultural abandonment, the land is being progressively restored to its ecological potential while providing sustainable subsistence for the family who runs it. The project rests on three pillars: Agriculture, using organic farming with local and endangered breeds and varieties, ancestral techniques, and permaculture adapted to climate change and a post-oil era; Nature, focused on recovering and preserving threatened habitats and species, reforestation with native species, passive restoration techniques, rewilding, and environmental education; and Culture, dedicated to preserving local heritage, culture, and identity, archaeology, and reestablishing the connection between humans and nature. The project regularly organizes volunteer-based reforestation actions, sowing native oak acorns and planting willow and elder cuttings along eroding water lines. To date, around 6.5 hectares have been reforested with native species, partly through community actions with friends and volunteers and partly during daily shepherding of the resident flock. Around 600 meters of eroding watercourses have been stabilized using live staking techniques. The project is led by a young couple: Ana Teresa Matos, a biologist with training in forest engineering, ecology, and permaculture design, and André Marques, an archaeologist specializing in archaeobotany. Both hold Permaculture Design Certificates from Aldeia do Vale. Their combined expertise bridges natural sciences and cultural heritage, shaping a holistic model for land regeneration. The initiative collaborates with local associations such as Associação Veredas da Estrela and welcomes community participation in its ongoing restoration work.