In case you missed the memo: back in 2018, a raging inferno tore through 28,000 hectares of Portugal’s Monchique mountains, leaving a whole lot of ash and a once-thriving ecosystem gasping for air. But fear not—enter Renature Monchique, a comeback story that’s been quietly rewriting the future of this blackened landscape. Since launching in 2019, this eco-hero project has been on a mission to revive the Serra de Monchique with the kind of native flora that doesn’t just look pretty but actually belongs there. And now, with a cool €400,000 from Ryanair (yes, that Ryanair), they're gearing up to plant another 125,000 trees, including the ultra-rare Monchique oak.

Here’s the plan: Renature Monchique is out to bring back a biodiverse, resilient forest—think cork oaks, chestnut trees, strawberry trees—rather than the old monoculture setups that drained the land dry. With help from green warriors like GEOTA and Turismo do Algarve, the project has already reintroduced a whopping 384,000 trees and given 60 local landowners a major hand in the process. Beyond just looking great on a postcard, these trees are sucking up carbon, revitalizing wildlife habitats, and bringing balance back to a region that’s had a rough few years.

And the momentum’s building! On November 7, expect some serious Earth-love vibes when project partners gather at the highest point in Monchique to lay out the next big steps for this environmental reboot. Renature aims to plant a whopping 2 million additional trees by 2027 in Monchique and other sites in Portugal. In a world where climate news can feel a bit, well, bleak, the Renature Monchique project is a fresh reminder that sometimes, we get to hit restart. 🌍