Born and raised in a small village among the mountain ranges of central Portugal, Pedro’s interest in the natural world began at an early age. Over time, what started as a child’s natural curiosity turned into a serious academic pursuit as Pedro, after experimenting with different pathways in his early student days, eventually graduated from the University of Lisbon with a Master of Science in Biology.
On our cycle tour of rewilding areas in Europe, our second stop was Muntanya d’Alinyà, a living mountain in the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees. Muntanya d’Alinyà is one of the largest private nature reserves in Spain and member of the European Rewilding Network (ERN).
When I heard that Rhodope Mountains have become the seventh Rewilding Europe’s area, the very first thought that crossed my mind was “Rhodopes cannot go any wilder”. I have always considered Rhodope Mountains as wildlife heaven due to the relatively small, even negligible human disturbance. Few months later as a Rewilding Europe volunteer, I set out on a journey to find out what can make the Rhodopes wilder than the wild place I last visited before.
Danube Delta rewilding area, a biosphere reserve and UNESCO heritage site from 1992, is presented in this blog through the eyes of volunteers monitoring the beavers from Parcheș village. Beaver monitoring is a part of the initiative here set up by Rewilding Europe, together with WWF Romania.
We are Anna and Dave, two environmentalists who had been working London office jobs for several years. We were becoming discontented with our lifestyles and wanted to be outdoors, helping people and wildlife. We decided to quit our jobs and have an adventure with a purpose. Having read about Rewilding Europe and the rewilding areas in Europe, we wanted to learn more about them, see the challenges and successes, and get involved. So we set off on a bike tour!
This May, a small team from the Croatian adventure travel company Adria Velebitica, a guest couple and Dutch bushcraft specialists from Extra Survival, joined Rewilding Europe for a Rewilding Tented Camp training programme in Velebit, Croatia.
Ever imagined standing in the Douro valley, hearing not a sound except those of nature itself, savouring the great Oporto wine, while the stars shine above your head? Soon it will be possible. Miles Away, a Portuguese enterprise expert on providing experiences in the Côa and Douro valleys, offers you a wildlife safari camp, and even without lions, there will be a lot of wildlife to discover and enjoy in this wild region of Portugal!
“Mons Baebius” guesthouse is an authentically renovated house in the abandoned village of Štokić Pod in the Velebit rewilding area. However, it is much more than an ordinary holiday rental property.
Within my first months at Rewilding Europe, I was fortunate enough to travel to many of the rewilding areas, meet great people and get some amazing insights into how we are going to reach our rewilding goals!
Spring is arising in Western Iberia rewilding area with spectacular scenery and beauty to be witnessed and enjoyed, as almond trees bloom creating a white coat that covers the steep slopes of the Côa valley.