ESC: 61st International Volunteer Workcamp - Curralada

Palombar - Associação de Conservação da Natureza e do Património Rural (Association for Nature and Rural Heritage Conservation) is a non-profit organisation, founded in 2000, whose main goals are conserving agricultural, wild and agroforestry ecosystems, as well as preserving its built heritage and respective traditional construction techniques. Even though its intervention territory has been expanding, it has mainly worked in Trás-os-Montes, Portugal. Trás-os-Montes is a region that carries isolation in its name - it literally means "behind the hills", which points to the distance that separates it from the central power and the big cities. Being historically peripheral, its inhabitants have always had difficulty accessing education, culture, payed jobs and even basic services (medical care, etc.). The fact that up until the 1950s their livelihoods were completely ingrained with agriculture and its cycles made them culturally isolated as well. Even though contemporary communication means have allowed for some openness, this region is still isolated, deserted and aged. Palombar's mission is to preserve natural and built heritage, through direct action in the field and by transmitting knowledge that has guided sustainable landscape management by local communities throughout centuries. We follow a pedagogical and cooperative approach, which is expected to be enriching to individuals and to bring dynamism to the rural world (both economical and social). These goals translate into projects and activities such as: reforestation programmes, monitoring of endangered species, maintenance of feeding sites for vultures, restoration and maintenance of traditional dovecotes and artificial feeding units for eagles' prey species, cultivation of traditional grain varieties, maintenance of a tree nursery, fire surveillance and restoration of other elements of architectural heritage such as dovecotes, water mills and dry stone walls. Since we are dealing with heritage, both natural and cultural, we involve local people and institutions as much as possible in order to ensure its continuity. People from older generations are regarded as stewards to the precious knowledge of this region, while at the same time still active and connected to rural traditions. We inform them about our actions and invite them to our events, raising awareness on environmental issues and specific measures to improve their well-being. We reach out to children and youngsters as well, through environmental education programmes including direct actions in the field. Amongst the local institutions we work with are the local and regional governments, schools and universities, farmers and hunting associations and other NGO's in our area. At the same time we recognise that nature conservation and cultural heritage have universal value, much beyond our local scope, and that collaboration with people and partners from other regions of the world is extremely relevant and valuable. Therefore, Palombar organises workshops, long-term volunteering projects and short-term work camps, appealing to a broad and international audience.