- The Greater Côa Valley's rich and varied montado landscapes, crossed by deep river valleys that straddle the border between Portugal and Spain, has become one of the most exciting wild areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Wildlife comeback has seen Iberian wolf, Iberian ibex, red deer and roe deer, all thriving in natural densities. In combination with some of the old local traditions, ways and products, this new wild dimension has created new sources of income and pride for the region's inhabitants.
- The ecological integrity of this vast Mediterranean ecosystem has been restored in this rewilding area in Portugal, in particular in the Greater Côa Calley in Portugal. At the same time, large parts of it have become much wilder than before. Core rewilding areas with no-take zones have been established, which function as stepping stones that are connected through wildlife corridors and surrounded by transition and buffer zones. Here, people still use the landscape in relatively traditional, but more sustainable and wildlife-friendly ways.
- Wetland areas have been restored and support a range of amphibians, such as frogs, toads and newts. Thanks to the beaver, streams that dried up in the summer now flow all year round. The clear waters and the abundance of trout have created ideal conditions for the return of the river mussel. The aquatic plant seed bank has been replaced and several decommissioned dams now allow fish to pass through, while a programme for the control of invasive species has enabled the return of bogues and barbels (both native fish species).
- The Greater Côa Valley has become a much wilder version of the montado habitat, containing several really wild zones where the original native range of species is back in place. Natural grazing with large herbivores has become a key natural process that helps to restore the Mediterranean habitats, facilitates species comeback such as the Iberian lynx, and acts as mitigation of excessive forest fires. The management principle practiced in the core areas is based on letting nature manage itself to the highest degree possible.
- The Greater Côa Valley has attracted young people, for whom it provides business opportunities based on wild values, local products and culture, thereby contributing to its future. The negative spiral of land abandonment, loss of biodiversity, excessive fires and diminishing local culture has turned into new prosperity, attracting and inspiring many visitors, also from outside the region.
- The Greater Côa Valley is a recognised tourist destination, both in Portugal and internationally, with a unique natural, historical and cultural heritage. Birdwatching, photographic hides and safaris are just some of the new activities linked to nature-based tourism, enhancing the economic development of the region. The new nature-based economy directly benefits local communities, who value and protect the wilder and more sustainable Greater Côa Valley they call home.
- The Greater Côa Valley's rich and varied montado landscapes, crossed by deep river valleys that straddle the border between Portugal and Spain, has become one of the most exciting wild areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Wildlife comeback has seen Iberian wolf, Iberian ibex, red deer and roe deer, all thriving in natural densities. In combination with some of the old local traditions, ways and products, this new wild dimension has created new sources of income and pride for the region's inhabitants.
- The ecological integrity of this vast Mediterranean ecosystem has been restored in this rewilding area in Portugal, in particular in the Greater Côa Calley in Portugal. At the same time, large parts of it have become much wilder than before. Core rewilding areas with no-take zones have been established, which function as stepping stones that are connected through wildlife corridors and surrounded by transition and buffer zones. Here, people still use the landscape in relatively traditional, but more sustainable and wildlife-friendly ways.
- Wetland areas have been restored and support a range of amphibians, such as frogs, toads and newts. Thanks to the beaver, streams that dried up in the summer now flow all year round. The clear waters and the abundance of trout have created ideal conditions for the return of the river mussel. The aquatic plant seed bank has been replaced and several decommissioned dams now allow fish to pass through, while a programme for the control of invasive species has enabled the return of bogues and barbels (both native fish species).
- The Greater Côa Valley has become a much wilder version of the montado habitat, containing several really wild zones where the original native range of species is back in place. Natural grazing with large herbivores has become a key natural process that helps to restore the Mediterranean habitats, facilitates species comeback such as the Iberian lynx, and acts as mitigation of excessive forest fires. The management principle practiced in the core areas is based on letting nature manage itself to the highest degree possible.
- The Greater Côa Valley has attracted young people, for whom it provides business opportunities based on wild values, local products and culture, thereby contributing to its future. The negative spiral of land abandonment, loss of biodiversity, excessive fires and diminishing local culture has turned into new prosperity, attracting and inspiring many visitors, also from outside the region.
- The Greater Côa Valley is a recognised tourist destination, both in Portugal and internationally, with a unique natural, historical and cultural heritage. Birdwatching, photographic hides and safaris are just some of the new activities linked to nature-based tourism, enhancing the economic development of the region. The new nature-based economy directly benefits local communities, who value and protect the wilder and more sustainable Greater Côa Valley they call home.
