One year volunteering at A ROCHA

Goedendag! My name is Esther Brouwer and I live in the Netherlands. After my study Forest and Nature conservation I stayed with a Rocha Portugal for one year. I came to Cruzinha to get some work experience, but found so much more. This place is filled with wonderful people and I care a lot for all of them. I got the opportunity to do many exciting things. During winter I assisted in the research on the effect of land-use shifts on the bird population

One year volunteering at A ROCHA2016-11-04T15:01:25+00:00

Birds this Autumn

Two guided birdwatching tours took place in the beginning of autumn, a time of year that continues to be a high point for seeing the many species that migrate south through Europe towards Africa in search of milder climes. Our guide (Guillaume Réthoré) produces detailed reports of each trip, but if you simply want to know which species were seen you can now check the list from the 22-29 september tour. There are still spaces available for the upcoming spring tours. You can choose

Birds this Autumn2017-06-19T19:59:05+01:00

Ria de Alvor – two historic sentences for the Portuguese environmental law

A Rocha Portugal's involvement in the study, monitoring and conservation of the Ria de Alvor started back in the 1980's. In response to the conviction that we must study and learn, to know how to take care of the gardens that God gave us, ARP has always been devoted mainly to scientific research, and to conservation and environmental education. However, destruction of significant areas of sensitive and protected habitats has occurred since 2004 in the Ria de Alvor by the owners of Quinta da

Ria de Alvor – two historic sentences for the Portuguese environmental law2016-11-04T14:37:15+00:00

A Rocha’s legal campaign protects Ria de Alvor

In March, we reported that the owner of Quinta da Rocha had been convicted of environmental crimes: a series of illegal actions between 2007 and 2010 which damaged the Ria de Alvor; one of the best wetlands in southern Portugal. Now, in a separate court action against his property development company, initiated by A Rocha Portugal (who led a coalition of six national NGOs) the company has been ordered to completely restore the habitats that were destroyed. Tiago Branco, National Director of A Rocha

A Rocha’s legal campaign protects Ria de Alvor2016-11-04T14:28:03+00:00

Good news for the Ria de Alvor, Portugal

A Rocha Portugal has again been successful in court. In 2007 A Rocha began legal proceedings to protect Quinta da Rocha (the headland on which Cruzinha, our field study centre, is located). Part of the headland and the Ria de Alvor which borders it is a Natura 2000 site, yet the main landowner illegally destroyed some of the more wildlife-rich areas. The legal process is inevitably protracted, but in July 2008 A Rocha won the injunction to stop the destruction of the protected habitats

Good news for the Ria de Alvor, Portugal2016-11-04T14:22:44+00:00