Portugal’s Douro Valley has been quietly making a comeback, thanks to the green-thumbed crew at Mossy Earth—a rewilding NGO founded by the dynamic duo of an English teacher and a Portuguese entrepreneur. After wildfires blazed through in 2017, turning the place into a crispy mess, these two surfing enthusiasts launched Mossy Earth’s Wildfire Restoration Project, driven by detrmination to bring this landscape back from the brink—one sturdy sapling at a time.

The Restoration Approach 🌳

Their approach? A no-nonsense mix of native trees like Portuguese oak, cork oak, and wild olive. These aren’t just your average backyard plants; they’re the battle-hardened types that thrive in tough Mediterranean conditions. Slowly but surely, the valley saw the return of some of its wildest A-listers—endangered species like the Iberian lynx 🐱 and griffon vulture, slipping back into their old haunts as if they’d just stepped out for coffee.

Interactive Mapping for the Eco-Curious 🌍

And because Mossy Earth knows how to keep things interactive, they didn’t just reforest and run. They rolled out an interactive KML map—a digital playground for anyone curious about the project. It’s basically a mini-Google Earth for eco-nerds, giving everyone a front-row seat to this comeback story 🌍.

Innovative Fire Prevention Techniques 🔥

To tackle those scorching Portuguese summers, Mossy Earth played it smart. They installed a drip-feed irrigation system, fed by a local reservoir, to keep the young trees hydrated without turning the place into a water park. And then they brought in the heavy hitters—wild horses 🐴. These grazers went to town on the underbrush, naturally keeping future fire fuel in check. As proof of their skills, areas grazed by these four-legged landscapers during the 2017 fires didn’t burn. Talk about earning your hay.

Signs of Life in the Douro Valley 🦅

As time passed, the valley came back to life. Vultures started circling again, eagles took to the skies, and roe deer cautiously tiptoed back into the scene. With a mix of reforestation, savvy water management, and the muscle of wild horses, Mossy Earth has turned what was once a disaster zone into a thriving, resilient ecosystem.

So yeah, the Douro Valley isn’t exactly back to its old self yet, but it’s on its way—one sapling, one vulture, and one wild horse nibble at a time 🌳.

Sources 📖

Bally, Lorena. “Rewilding With Mossy Earth.” The Momentum, Momentum, LLC, 2023, www.themomentum.com/articles/rewilding-with-mossy-earth.

Cleaver, Jake. “Meet Mossy Earth.” The Portugal News, Anglopress, 6 Oct. 2021, www.theportugalnews.com/news/2021-10-06/meet-mossy-earth/62795

“Update: Reforestation Project With Mossy Earth.” Voices.earth, 27 Dec. 2018, https://voices.earth/insights/update-reforestation-project-with-mossy-earth/

“Wildfire Restoration.” Mossy Earth, Mossy Earth Ltd., 2024, www.mossy.earth/projects/wildfire-restoration#signs-of-life.