The Renature Monchique project has relaunched its reforestation efforts, supported by a new €400,000 investment from Irish airline Ryanair
Created in 2019, Renature Monchique aims to restore the areas devastated by Monchique’s 2018 wildfire and protect the endangered Monchique oak, a critically threatened species according to the Red List of Vascular Flora of Mainland Portugal.
The relaunch event took place in November, at Fóia, the highest peak in Monchique, where project partners outlined both the progress to date and the goals for this new phase, which includes the planting of 125,000 additional native trees.
Renature Monchique represents a collaborative effort by Ryanair, environmental organisation GEOTA, regional tourism board Turismo do Algarve, Portugal’s Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), and the municipal council of Monchique.
“Ryanair is proud of the work carried out as part of the Renature Monchique project. Restoring the forest in the Monchique mountain range and preventing land degradation are the goals of our company and our passengers. Through the planting of 125,000 new trees, we hope to continue actively contributing to the forest’s resilience,” said Thomas Fowler, Director of Sustainability at Ryanair, last year.
“The Monchique mountain range was affected by Europe’s largest forest fire in 2018,” GEOTA writes on its website. “Nearly 28,000 hectares were burned, significantly impacting the local community, natural habitats, and species in this area. Driven by climate change and human impact over the years, these fires have become extremely destructive. Established in 2019, the Renature Monchique project aims to restore the habitats affected by the fire, mitigate the future impacts of climate change, and support the local community in recovering from the disaster caused by the fire.”
So far, around 384,000 native trees have been planted, and support has been provided to about 60 landowners.
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