Welcome to our October Initiative.
Heron filmed by Roy Buri.
Get involved to...
Help rewild a former mining site in northeast Portugal.
Our Initiative this October supports a Mossy Earth project. We'll contribute to the funds needed for the rewilding of a former mining site in Portugal called Paul de Toirões. With their partner, Rewilding Portugal, the reshaping of this landscape has the potential to secure a future refuge for a vibrant array of species. The sale of every item in October will support this Initiative.
AT A GLANCE
Paul de Toirões, in northeast Portugal, is an area recovering from years of mining. When mining activities stopped over a decade ago, nature slowly started moving back in. Extraction holes filled with water to create an ecosystem of lagoons, canals and ponds colonized by wildlife and riparian vegetation.
Mossy Earth, in partnership with Rewilding Portugal, have set out to enlarge and diversify the wetland habitats of Paul de Toirões. As one of the largest water surface areas in the Greater Côa Valley, restoration of the site has the potential to secure a refuge for biodiversity well into the future.
300
Hectare size of the abandoned mining site.
112
Current count of registered bird species.
Present-day
A haven in the making
Since mining ceased, nature has slowly started to reclaim the site. Even in its current state, it is home to rich communities of aquatic flora and fauna like amphibians, mammals and plenty of invertebrates. It is also a hotspot for birds with 112 species registered to date including resident species, summer visitors, and migratory birds.
But more can be done to rehabilitate the area, and secure the permanent return of many essential species to the ecosystem at Paul de Toirões.
Looking ahead
Project goals
Earthworks will be one of the most important aspects of the project. It will reshape the landscape to:
- change the way water moves,
- increase the area of flooding,
- create the conditions for temporary ponds to develop,
- improve water retention to increase the landscape’s resilience to climate change, and
- facilitate vegetation growth.
Of course wildlife will also benefit from these interventions with better accessibility, greater numbers of nesting and wintering birds, and growing populations of amphibians, reptiles, mollusks and arthropods.
Mossy Earth
FAQs
If you have more questions about our monthly Initiatives, you may find the answers here. If there's anything else you'd like to know, please get in touch by email.
What is an Initiative?
Give the art you love another purpose! With Initiatives we use a portion of the proceeds from sales to support organizations running rewilding and conservation projects. Every month we launch a new Initiative with a different beneficiary. We support these organizations with awareness and educational content, and use every Alpha Fauna purchase to make a contribution to the funds needed for particular projects.
What is the October Initiative about?
Our Initiative this October supports a Mossy Earth project. We'll contribute to the funds needed for the rewilding of a former mining site in Portugal called Paul de Toirões. With their partner, Rewilding Portugal, the reshaping of this landscape has the potential to secure a future refuge for a vibrant array of species.
How can I learn more about this project in Portugal?
You can visit the Mossy Earth website to read more about the project.
How can I support this Initiative?
We use a portion of the proceeds from every sale to support our featured projects, so if we have a piece of art you love, you'll automatically support this Initiative with your purchase.
How much will be donated?
We look at the final amount of your entire order to calculate your donation. Here’s a guide for how much we donate based on your order total.
Donation guide: (order total, after any discounts, followed by the donation amount)
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Up to $49.99 = $2.50 donation
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$50 - $74.99 = $5 donation
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$75 - $99.99 = $7.50 donation
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$100 - $149.99 = $10 donation
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$150 - $199.99 = $15 donation
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$200 and above = $20 donation
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Only sales from the month of October will contribute to the final amount to be donated to Mossy Earth.
Can I support this project without buying something?
You certainly can! You can sign up for a Mossy Earth membership to support their work, including this project. Set up your membership here.
Who is Mossy Earth?
Mossy Earth is a social enterprise working to restore nature across a wide range of ecosystems. Their work focuses on rewilding degraded habitats, supporting keystone species, and helping neglected species or ecosystems.