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20 October 2026

Good morning. Today brings a steady bullfinch, a restored wolf pit and a park that drinks the rain, alongside water, waste and a busy week of gatherings across the country.

Nature and biodiversity

Azores bullfinch census finds population holding steady at around 1,000 birds

The 2026 Priolo Atlas, a census held every four years, indicates the world population of the Azores bullfinch remains stable at roughly 1,000 birds. In June, over 70 volunteers and technicians from nine countries counted birds simultaneously at about 300 points across the species' range on São Miguel. Regular sightings were confirmed at Pico Verde/Pico da Vara, where native laurel forest was restored in 2004. Two decades ago the species was close to extinction. SPEA says habitat loss remains the main threat, so monitoring continues, now supported by automated audio recorders.

AzoresEcosystems & BiodiversityMore on this story → View project: SPEA – Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves →

Restored wolf pit in Pinhel opens with life-size wolf sculptures and a new walking trail

A historic wolf-trapping pit in the Ermo das Águias rewilding area, in Pinhel, was reopened on 18 October after restoration by Rewilding Portugal with the municipality. It is a "goat-bait" type, unusual because most known pits are in the mountainous north, above the Douro. Inside, Rui Miragaia installed life-size sculptures of wolves hunting an ibex, and a new walking trail leads to the site. The work forms part of the LIFE LUPI LYNX project on coexistence with the Iberian wolf and lynx south of the Douro. Regular guided visits are planned.

CentroEcosystems & BiodiversityMore on this story → View project: Rewilding Portugal →

Setúbal's flood-absorbing Várzea park chosen as case study for European design guide

Setúbal's Parque Urbano da Várzea is one of the case studies in AQUAlive, a European project that will produce a guide to creating floodable parks. Partners from six countries will spend three years assessing how such spaces can cut flood risk, ease urban heat and support biodiversity. The 19-hectare park combines leisure areas with retention basins that hold rainwater and release it gradually, and has already protected Setúbal's downtown during heavy rain. Lisbon's Faculty of Sciences coordinates the Portuguese side, with the municipality as partner. The project runs until December 2028 under Horizon Europe.

LisbonEcosystems & BiodiversityRead more at Green Savers ↗

Aveiro researchers link forest certification to richer wildlife habitats

University of Aveiro researchers reviewed international studies on forest certification and wildlife, adding a case study of certified and candidate forests in Portugal. Fauna diversity was positively linked to varied trees, shrubs and herbs and to the presence of water. Practices such as keeping deadwood, controlled burning and protecting riverside zones may help several animal groups. The evidence is mostly European and centred on birds and mammals, while reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates are less studied. The authors say certification alone is not enough and call for long-term monitoring and conservation measures tailored to each species and territory.

CentroEcosystems & BiodiversityMore on this story →

Loulé opens single website for its five protected areas

Loulé municipality has launched a website gathering information on the five local protected areas in the municipality. It was presented on 18 October, the 16th anniversary of the Rocha da Pena and Fonte Benémola protected landscapes. Each area has its own page with technical details, natural and cultural heritage, photos and video, plus data on scientific projects and monitoring, walking routes, soundscapes and Geopark trails. The council says the information was previously scattered, and the portal should make it easier to reach and improve transparency. It is backed by European funds through the Algarve 2030 regional programme.

AlgarveEcosystems & BiodiversityRead more at Jornal do Algarve ↗

Azores to draw up 10-year plan to protect seven native breeds

The Azores regional government plans to create a ten-year strategic plan covering the region's seven native animal breeds, with measures to preserve, enhance and promote their genetic heritage. Agriculture secretary António Ventura announced a working group, to include the Azores Farmers' Federation and the University of the Azores, to design a medium- and long-term approach. The Ramo Grande cattle breed currently numbers 2,607 animals and 262 breeders, nearly half of them on São Jorge. Support has been raised by 25% to €250 per registered adult animal, and the breed's beef has held protected designation of origin status since 2022.

AzoresFood & AgricultureRead more at Agroportal ↗

Water: every drop counts

Infraquinta publishes first sustainability report, citing 2.7% water loss and 50% separate waste collection

Infraquinta, the municipal company serving the Quinta do Lago area in Loulé, presented its first Sustainability Report on 15 October at the H2O & Sustainability Summit 2026. Covering 2022 to 2025, it records non-revenue water of 2.7% in 2025, which the company says is the lowest among bulk-supply entities for ten years. Some 86% of public green spaces were irrigated using 25% treated wastewater. Separate waste collection reached 50%, with a target of 60% by 2030. The company marks 30 years of activity this year.

AlgarveEnergy, Water & MobilityRead more at Barlavento ↗

Madeira water chief tells young PSD members 60% of water is lost

The youth wing of the PSD in Câmara de Lobos held a debate on water and waste management in Madeira, with Amílcar Gonçalves, chairman of the regional utility ARM. He recalled that these services were once run by each municipality and are now managed regionally. Collection crews cover about 1,000 kilometres a day, and rising fuel prices are weighing on the operation. He praised water captured in the island's north and an irrigation network of almost 3,000 kilometres, but warned that losses run at around 60%. He also urged people to dispose of waste responsibly and keep streams clean.

MadeiraEnergy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

EPAL says missing legislation, not technology, is holding back reuse of treated wastewater

Water utility EPAL argues that reusing treated wastewater should become a complementary source of supply in Portugal, easing pressure on conventional resources. Treatment technology is already proven and most treatment plants have the extra stages needed. The real obstacle is that legislation defining reuse as a main activity for multimunicipal systems has not yet been published, which blocks large-scale rollout and fair, competitive tariffs. Transport and storage between plants and users can account for a large share of the cost. EPAL also points to sludge recovery, nutrient recovery and energy efficiency as parts of one circular strategy, and stresses training the people who will run these systems.

Energy, Water & MobilityRead more at Ambiente Magazine ↗

AgdA tenders €5.9 million water supply works for São Teotónio in Odemira

Águas Públicas do Alentejo (AgdA) has put out a public tender worth €5.9 million to build the São Teotónio supply subsystem in the municipality of Odemira. The works cover new pumping and gravity pipelines, reservoirs, pumping stations and the electrical, automation and remote-management equipment. They span the parishes of São Teotónio and Boavista dos Pinheiros and will link the new São Teotónio water treatment plant to the existing systems serving Boavista dos Pinheiros–Odemira, Fataca, Zambujeira do Mar and Brejão. The contract allows 630 days for completion and is meant to make supply more reliable and resilient for about 16,000 residents, while tying the Santa Clara system together more closely.

AlentejoEnergy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

Water utility AdAM starts school visits in Viana do Castelo

Águas do Alto Minho has launched an environmental education project for schoolchildren, beginning with a session at the EB1 primary school in Vila de Punhe, Viana do Castelo. Pupils followed the urban water cycle, from collection and treatment to the tap and the handling of wastewater, using an educational video and age-appropriate lessons. Hands-on activities included making slime from tap water and assembling a puzzle on the subject. The programme is meant to reach schools in all seven municipalities the company serves, adapting its activities to each level of education.

NorteEnergy, Water & MobilityRead more at Alto Minho ↗

Waste and the Volta scheme

Crushed Volta deposit-scheme bottles found dumped in Odivelas woodland

Hundreds of crushed bottles that had been collected through Portugal's Volta deposit-return scheme have been found dumped in a wooded area in Odivelas. The discovery has prompted an investigation into where the waste came from and whether fraud was involved.

LisbonProducts, Consumption & CircularRead more at The Portugal News ↗

Supermarkets can refuse rival chains' Volta vouchers but must refund the deposit in cash

Supermarkets may refuse to accept Volta vouchers issued by another chain's return machines as a discount on shopping, according to a fact-check by Polígrafo. The scheme's manager, SDR Portugal, says a voucher is valid in the store that issued it or, depending on each retailer's rules, others in the same chain. Consumers still keep the right to claim the deposit back in cash, which Portuguese waste-management law guarantees and consumer group DECO says cannot be restricted. Vouchers last one year from issue, and some machines can pay straight to a bank card. Unjustified refusals can be reported.

Products, Consumption & CircularRead more at Postal ↗

Hospitality businesses demand changes to Portugal's Volta recycling scheme

Hotels, restaurants and cafés in Portugal are asking for changes to the Volta recycling system. They say the way it currently works adds costs, eats into staff time and makes day-to-day running of their businesses more complicated.

Products, Consumption & CircularRead more at The Portugal News ↗

Regional authority confirms breaches at Amarsul's Moita-Palmela landfill after complaints

The Lisbon and Tagus Valley regional coordination commission has confirmed breaches of the licence conditions and of landfill-waste rules at the Amarsul municipal waste landfill in Moita-Palmela, following several complaints. Environmental group ZERO says this backs its warning that untreated, unstabilised organic waste is being dumped, which has been banned since 2020 and releases methane, pollutes leachate and attracts pests. ZERO wants the existing mechanical-biological treatment plant expanded, door-to-door food-waste collection widened and pay-as-you-throw tariffs introduced. Amarsul sent 75% of the urban waste it handled in 2024 to landfill, including 112,000 tonnes with no treatment.

LisbonProducts, Consumption & CircularMore on this story → View project: ZERO – Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável →

Portimão's waste company resumes door-to-door food waste kit giveaway

Portimão's municipal water and waste company, EMARP, began the second phase of its Porta a Porta campaign on 19 October, handing out free kits for separating food waste. It runs until 31 October. Teams are returning to the streets after a first phase in May to answer questions and show residents how to sort bio-waste correctly. Each kit includes a brown seven-litre bin. The effort is part of the "Com restos de comida não se brinca" campaign, which aims to raise participation in separate organic waste collection and cut the amount of waste sent to landfill. Teams work weekdays and Saturdays, mostly late mornings and evenings.

AlgarveProducts, Consumption & CircularMore on this story →

Study finds battery recycling could halve EU demand for newly mined lithium by 2040

A study by Germany's Öko-Institut, commissioned by campaign groups SOMO, Seas At Risk and PowerShift, finds that recycling could cut the EU's need for newly mined lithium and nickel by up to 50% by 2040, and cobalt by up to 70%. Sciaena and 39 other organisations are urging Brussels to act quickly to realise that potential. Portugal holds some of Europe's largest known lithium resources, and plans for new mines are contentious: residents of Covas do Barroso have blocked company machinery in protest at the Savannah Resources project. The groups say Europe should reduce extraction rather than simply seek new sources.

Products, Consumption & CircularMore on this story → View project: Sciaena →

Getting around

Lisbon's mayor will ask council to halt shared e-scooters

Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas intends to seek the immediate suspension of the city's shared electric scooter system. He will put the proposal to the municipal executive at its meeting on 21 October, where it will be decided.

LisbonEnergy, Water & MobilityRead more at The Portugal News ↗

Portuguese start-up BE4ALL readies patented tilting three-wheel electric scooter for market launch

BE4ALL, a Portuguese company registered as a brand in 2017, is preparing to market the E3BIKE, an electric scooter with three independent wheels and a patented tilt-and-balance system. It is meant to add stability and safety without losing the agility of a conventional scooter, at a similar size. Planned versions offer 350 W to 3000 W, disc brakes and an estimated range of 35 to 90 kilometres. A prototype can already be tried through demonstrations, and a two-wheel E2BIKE is also planned. The business association NERPOR could not provide workshop space, so it is helping instead with Portuguese-Spanish business meetings, networking and funding opportunities.

Energy, Water & MobilityRead more at Jornal Alto Alentejo ↗

JPP calls on Madeira government to fix ticketing faults and pay bus operators

The opposition JPP party says the electronic ticketing system on Madeira's integrated bus network, SIGA, has been breaking down on buses in service. Passengers and drivers are affected, and the operators cannot charge fares, which hurts their finances. Deputy Paulo Alves wants the regional government to maintain the equipment and pay the compensation owed under the concession contracts on time. He points to worries over late payments and to workers at one operator being placed on lay-off as a sign of financial strain. The party also asks for better planning and evaluation of the digital modernisation.

MadeiraEnergy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

Douro river tourism passes 1.1 million passengers in 2026

Passenger numbers on the Douro have grown in 2026, with river tourism now carrying more than 1.1 million people. Cruises operating around Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia and Pinhão make up about 80 per cent of all traffic on the river.

NorteEducation & Eco-tourismRead more at The Portugal News ↗

Critic argues Alcochete airport could cost billions and leave Lisbon worse served

The planned airport at Alcochete is estimated to cost between €7.9 and €8.9 billion at 2024 prices, plus transport links. The author notes Lisbon's Humberto Delgado airport handled 36.1 million passengers in 2025, and the government aims to lift its capacity to 40–45 million. He cites the independent technical commission's own demand studies, which show Alcochete drawing about 4.9 million fewer passengers than the current site by 2050, and warns of higher fares and longer journeys. He urges comparing a single new airport with keeping Portela and adding a second airport in phases, and studying expansion options before the planned 2036–2037 opening.

LisbonEnergy, Water & MobilityRead more at Observador ↗

Environment agency approves conditional route for Boticas bypass to A24 motorway

Portugal's environment agency has issued a conditional favourable environmental decision for a bypass linking Boticas to the A24 motorway, promoted and funded by Savannah Resources as part of its Barroso lithium mine. The northern route, about 16.5 km, was chosen over a southern option as having the lower environmental impact. The works are budgeted at €55 million and the road will be open to the public. The 2023 approval of the mine itself required this road. The decision does not by itself authorise construction, and the mine could start operating first. Savannah plans to begin building in 2027, with first production in 2028.

NorteEnergy, Water & MobilityRead more at Jornal PT Green ↗

Energy, funding and the transition

EU awards Portugal €6.6 million for five LIFE environment and climate projects

The European Commission has selected five Portuguese projects under the LIFE programme's clean energy transition strand, worth about €8.6 million in total, of which €6.6 million comes from EU funds. They cover invasive aquatic plants in the Mondego basin, environmental crime enforcement, wastewater treatment, energy poverty and energy efficiency in social institutions. The largest grant, €1.84 million, goes to a NOVA University of Lisbon-led energy poverty project spanning four countries. Portugal's projects are part of 44 selected across the EU, which together receive over €91 million.

Energy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

Two green hydrogen and ammonia projects in Sines get permits worth €3.3bn

The Alentejo regional development commission (CCDR) has issued digital siting permits to two projects planned for the Sines Industrial and Logistics Zone. Both hold Potential National Interest status and together represent an investment of €3,326 million. MadoquaPower2X would build a 500 MW green hydrogen plant for industrial and energy use, at about €2.8 billion. MADOQUA NH3, at roughly €526 million, would turn that hydrogen into some 438,000 tonnes of renewable ammonia a year, for export and as a low-carbon shipping fuel. The CCDR says both fit national hydrogen and climate strategies.

AlentejoEnergy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

€300,000 fund opens to retrain former Sines coal plant workers

The Alentejo 2030 programme has opened a €300,000 call to fund individual training for former workers of the Sines coal-fired power station, which has closed. The money comes entirely from the EU's Just Transition Fund. It covers certified courses, from university degrees to vocational training, plus professional and school certification. Priority goes to sectors with growth potential in the Alentejo coast, including renewable energy, the maritime economy, agri-food, tourism and construction. Only ex-employees of the plant may apply, whatever their current employment status. The regional development commission says the aim is to ease the social and labour impact of the closure.

AlentejoEnergy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

Alentejo 2030 opens €1 million call for circular economy projects in SMEs

The Alentejo 2030 programme has launched a €1 million call for investment projects that bring circular economy practices to small and medium-sized businesses in the region. Eligible work includes redesigning production processes, using fewer raw materials, applying ecodesign, building new products from by-products and creating business models based on reusing materials. The money comes from the European Regional Development Fund and covers up to 60% of project costs. Applications run until 29 January 2027, and the investment must be located in the Alentejo region.

AlentejoProducts, Consumption & CircularMore on this story →

Government opens €3 million fund for emergency stabilisation of 2026 wildfire areas

The Ministry of Agriculture and Sea has launched a €3 million call under the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan to fund emergency stabilisation of land hit by the major rural fires of 2026. It is the fifth call under this forest-restoration measure and covers the first batch of large fires. Funding is a non-repayable grant, with applications open until 17:00 on 16 December 2026. Priority goes to organised or grouped forest management, Natura 2000 and protected areas, land prone to desertification, and burnt areas of 500 hectares or more. A further call is planned for the remaining fires once the forestry institute finishes its reports.

Ecosystems & BiodiversityMore on this story → View project: ICNF - Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas →

Socialist MP demands answers on management and costs of Azores research vessel

Socialist MP Francisco César, after a visit to the Okeanos marine research institute in Horta, has called for clarity on who will manage the new Azores Ocean research vessel, what its upkeep will cost and how it could earn revenue. The ship, part of a PRR-funded investment of around 30 million euros, is about 46 metres long and equipped for deep-sea science. He also asks why crew of the ageing Arquipélago are not being retrained for it, and warns that at least half of the MARTEC technology hub's investment is stalled.

AzoresEcosystems & BiodiversityRead more at Açoriano Oriental ↗

Faro council approves €14 million loan for five local projects

Faro's council voted on 19 October to take out a loan of almost €14 million for five projects: the Bairro Ribeirinho regeneration, the Faro–Olhão coastal cycle path, the Pontes de Marchil roundabout, the Penha football pitch extension and Largo Francisco Sá Carneiro. The Socialists voted in favour and the Social Democrats abstained. It also cancelled a €16.42 million loan authorised in 2023, on which nothing had been spent because the projects were not ready. The new loan now needs approval from the Municipal Assembly. A September attempt had been voted down by the opposition.

AlgarveEnergy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

Resilient buildings and homes

Leiria to fit schools with generators and water tanks after storm damage

Leiria council is adapting its school renovation projects so that buildings can withstand extreme weather, adding backup generators and water tanks. The Carvide primary school, among the worst hit by storm Kristin, reopened at the weekend as the first resilient school in the municipality and is meant to serve as a model. Other schools will need adaptations to existing buildings. Works councillor Ricardo Santos said materials are also being specified more carefully, with sturdier doors, window frames and roofs, and better-aligned tiles to avoid wind damage. The same approach is planned for several other schools, including D. Dinis and Henrique Sommer.

CentroConstruction & HousingRead more at Jornal de Leiria ↗

Rubiães pilgrim hostel to close for three months for energy-saving refurbishment

The pilgrim hostel at São Pedro de Rubiães, in Paredes de Coura, will shut from 15 November until 31 January 2027, reopening on 1 February. The council is spending around €400,000, backed by a Turismo de Portugal fund, on a building that is 20 years old. Works include better wall, roof and window insulation, new heating and ventilation, solar panels and fully renovated washrooms. The same funding covers safer stretches of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago where it meets busy roads, using warning signs, barriers and rerouting onto inland paths. Ponte de Lima and Valença are also involved in a system to locate walkers in need where mobile coverage is poor.

NorteConstruction & HousingRead more at Alto Minho ↗

Azores government grants €1.9m for 41 affordable homes in Rabo de Peixe

The Azores regional government has signed a non-refundable €1.9 million funding agreement with the housing cooperative "Nossa Vila, Nossa Casa". The money covers the groundwork and works supervision for the Toronto development in Rabo de Peixe, on São Miguel, where 41 detached houses at controlled prices will be built: 10 two-bedroom and 31 three-bedroom homes. It follows a 2024 agreement worth €314,000 for another site, where 16 houses are being built. The regional housing secretary said public construction alone is not enough and that cooperatives should be encouraged to build, with similar projects possible on other islands.

AzoresConstruction & HousingRead more at Açoriano Oriental ↗

Mortágua to host heating and ventilation congress on AI in buildings

More than a hundred professionals, teachers and lecturers from the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning sector will meet in Mortágua on Friday, 23 October, for the fifth international congress organised by Giacomini Portugal with the company MACOP. Prompted by the poor thermal and energy performance of many Portuguese buildings, the afternoon programme will look at using artificial intelligence to manage hot water and heating. Other topics include hydrogen for thermal energy, a new generation of heat pumps, radiant heating and cooling, controlled mechanical ventilation, and sustainable timber buildings. The session runs from 14:00 to 18:30 at the Montebelo Aguieira Lake Resort & Spa.

CentroConstruction & HousingMore on this story →

Food, farming and the table

Healthy school snack programme extended from São Miguel to every Azores island

The Azores regional government has extended BaLanSa, a project promoting healthy eating among second-year primary pupils, to every island. It combines food education activities with monitoring of the nutritional content of school snacks. Run by the school health team and nutrition service of São Miguel's health unit, it has so far been carried out annually in all public schools on that island, where this is its sixth edition. Results from the first five editions show healthier snacks and fewer containing foods best avoided. The project forms part of the Regional Health Plan 2030.

AzoresFood & AgricultureRead more at Açoriano Oriental ↗

Faro opens free nutrition clinic for people aged 14 to 30

Faro municipality has opened a Nutrition Office at its Faro Youth Lab, a municipal youth space, offering free dietary guidance to people aged 14 to 30. It was launched during World Food Day events on 15 and 16 October. The office answers questions on eating and lifestyle habits, and the council says it wants to bring young people closer to municipal nutrition services and build food literacy. The celebrations also included food-education sessions for 12 classes of first and second-year primary pupils, plus screenings and talks on food marketing, label reading, myths and social media for older students. In total, 15 classes and about 375 children and young people took part.

AlgarveHealth & WellbeingRead more at Barlavento ↗

Bragança hosts Iberian bread and cereals festival on 30 October 2026

The CIMO research centre of Bragança Polytechnic University is staging PANIBERIA 2026 in the city on 30 October, working with its TRANSCOLAB PLUS project partners. The day brings together researchers, companies, bakers and chefs, and opens with Bragança's bid to become a European City of Cereals, to be decided in December 2026. There is an innovation fair on by-product use and waste reduction, a children's bread trail, a baking showcooking and an evening scientific summit with posters and a tasting. Restaurants will serve bread-inspired menus from 28 to 31 October. Taking part is free, with prior registration.

NorteFood & AgricultureRead more at Rede Rural ↗

Macedo de Cavaleiros hosts first Trás-os-Montes young farmers' meeting on 23 October

Macedo de Cavaleiros will host the first meeting of young farmers from Trás-os-Montes on Friday, 23 October, at its Cultural Centre, organised by the municipality and the young farmers' association AJAP. The town was chosen because it had the most approved young-farmer installation applications in the region in 2024 and 2025, with 69 projects. Farmers, public bodies and sector organisations will discuss access to land, land consolidation, marketing of produce, irrigation and generational renewal. The opening session is scheduled for 11:00, with technical visits in the morning and a tasting of local products at the end.

NorteFood & AgricultureMore on this story → View project: AJAP – Associação dos Jovens Agricultores de Portugal →

Twelve engineers tour Madeira's protected-origin cider works to study by-product reuse

The Madeira branch of the Portuguese engineers' association is taking twelve engineers from different disciplines to the Santo da Serra cider house on Wednesday at 10.30. They will follow how Madeira cider, which carries a Protected Geographical Indication, is made during the busy period when apples and pears arrive for processing. A regional agriculture official, Miguel Rodrigues, will lead the tour together with the island's cider producers' association. Beyond production itself, the visit will look at how by-products and waste from the activity can be put to use, with attention to innovation, resource efficiency and circular-economy principles.

MadeiraFood & AgricultureRead more at JM Madeira ↗

CCDR Centro publishes autumn issue of its Mediterranean Diet digital agenda

The Centro regional development commission (CCDR Centro) released the fourth issue of "Agenda DM – A Dieta Mediterrânica no Centro" on 23 September. The digital publication appears every three months, timed to the start of each season, and links food to natural cycles, farming practices and local traditions. The autumn edition stresses seasonality and respect for nature's rhythms as part of a sustainable way of eating and living. Its content on territories, flavours, products and regional customs aims to promote local produce and preserve traditional knowledge across the Centro region.

CentroFood & AgricultureMore on this story →

Águeda's renovated municipal market opens to shoppers on 23 October

Águeda's renovated municipal market opens to the public on Friday, 23 October, after works that improved conditions for traders, producers and shoppers. Traders began moving from the temporary market into the new building on Monday, and the transfer is continuing through the week. The official inauguration is scheduled for 6 November at 17:00.

CentroFood & AgricultureRead more at Notícias de Coimbra ↗

Close to home: people and places

Western Algarve plans a second November of free landscape restoration events

A second Month of Regeneration will run across the western Algarve this November, offering free, hands-on activities such as tree planting, agroforestry, water retention work, assisted natural regeneration and guided nature walks. Events are spread over projects near Odiáxere, Pedralva, Barão de São João, Rogil, Burgau, Bensafrim and Aljezur. The first edition, in November 2025, drew 320 participants to 10 projects and logged over 750 volunteer hours and more than 1,500 trees and perennial plants. Most activities need no experience, but advance registration is required for each one.

AlgarveEcosystems & BiodiversityMore on this story →

Terras sem Sombra festival returns to Sousel with choral concert, heritage walk and farm visit

The Terras sem Sombra festival returns to the municipality of Sousel on 24 and 25, with all events free to attend. On Saturday evening the Lisbon Chamber Choir performs a concert of choral music inspired by nature in the parish church, and that afternoon a guided walk covers the history of Cano, a former council seat granted a charter in 1512. On Sunday, the Herdade do Mouchão estate, which combines traditional winemaking with olive groves, forest, grazing and beekeeping, presents its approach to sustainability. The festival then moves on to Castelo de Vide on 7 and 8 November.

AlentejoEcosystems & BiodiversityRead more at Jornal Alto Alentejo ↗

Workshops in Azores seek residents' ideas for former Santana aerodrome's future

A multidisciplinary project is holding workshops at the former Santana aerodrome to explore what the site could become. One session targets the school community of Rabo de Peixe and another is open to the public. Led by Canadian professor and researcher Warren Linds of Concordia University in Montreal, participants are asked to imagine the site's future without limits, using different art forms. The wider project, coordinated by researcher Nisa Remígio and funded by the national and regional governments, also includes a sound trail built from local life stories and memories, an interactive website and a mural by artist Kevin Ledo.

AzoresCommunity & Social InnovationRead more at Açoriano Oriental ↗

Thirty young people from five countries gather in Alcoutim for Erasmus+ citizenship exchange

Thirty young people and five group leaders from Portugal, Greece, Serbia, Slovakia and Turkey are in Alcoutim from 22 to 30 October for "Voices for Change", an Erasmus+ exchange run by the Associação Expressão Contínua. Over nine days they take part in workshops, debates and arts activities on fundamental rights, social inclusion and critical thinking. A public talk on youth participation and democracy, in English, is open to all at the Salão Nobre on 24 October at 10:00. The group will also volunteer at the local day centre and in the Alcoutim and Martim Longo schools, restoring a school garden and painting a reading-themed mural.

AlgarveCommunity & Social InnovationRead more at Jornal do Algarve ↗

Olhão launches Moinho, a social innovation incubator for eastern Algarve

A new social innovation incubator called Moinho was presented on 14 October at Olhão's municipal library. It aims to develop and give visibility to local projects, build the skills of the organisations involved and create cooperation networks across the eastern Algarve. The launch brought together representatives of the regional development commission, the national Social Innovation Portugal mission, Olhão council and YMCA Setúbal. After a round table on the challenges facing such projects, a "Human Library" session let local initiatives share their experiences and look for ways to collaborate.

AlgarveCommunity & Social InnovationMore on this story →

Around 60 attend second multicultural gathering in Pampilhosa da Serra

About 60 people took part in the second Multicultural Meeting in Pampilhosa da Serra, held on Saturday, 17 October, at the Residência de Estudantes. Run by the CLDS 5G Pampilhosa da Serra project, the event focused on cultural diversity, the sharing of experiences and the integration of people who choose the municipality as the place to build their future.

CentroCommunity & Social InnovationRead more at Notícias de Coimbra ↗
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