Make Portugal a wilder place.

Two competitions asked us to help publicise their well-intentioned and important activities. The first competition is organised by Rewilding Portugal, a movement that campaigns for nature conservation throughout Europe and specifically for the preservation of wildlife habitats, under the slogan „Make Portugal – make Europe a wilder place…“

Rewilding Portugal itself is an organisation dedicated to ecological restoration and the promotion of wild and species-rich landscapes. It works closely with local communities, institutional partners and scientists to make Portugal a wilder place with new opportunities for people and biodiversity to coexist with nature. Specifically, this means that Rewilding works in the Côa River valley between Sabugal and Figueira do Castelo Rodrigo (see map) to reintroduce and monitor wild vultures, ensuring their survival with legal feeding stations, observing wolves and many other wildlife species – such as otters – and working with teachers and school classes. In addition, the association is now organising an interesting photo competition, which is what we will be informing here today.

The competition categories include fauna, flora and fungi, natural landscapes, young photographers, the special category 2026 – Free Rivers, and the special award ‘Rewilding Photographer of the Year’, which is given to photographers who submit a narrative portfolio of eight to ten photographs from 2025 and 2026 to be recognised as the best of the best.

The 6th Rewilding Photo Competition offers a cash prize and other interesting prizes, as well as an invitation to Vale da Côa, and can be viewed at https://filmfreeway.com/RewildingPhotoContest or directly at fernando.teixeira@rewilding-portugal.com. The closing date for entries is 10 April.

Creativity is required. The water supplier Águas do Algarve, a public limited company owned by the 16 counties of the Algarve and the parent company Águas de Portugal SA, has announced a theatre competition for young people in schools in the Algarve. From water from the tap and pipes for coffee or showers to the irrigation of golf courses and the treatment of sewage water, Águas do Algarve is the all-round water supplier between Vila Real de Santo António, Faro and the south-western cape. The competition involves writing a theatre script to be performed on stage. „Which school will manage to stage a play?“ asks Teresa Fernandes, press spokesperson for the water supplier. She wants to „give water a voice“. She emphasises to ECO123: “We want to see the most creative, original and inspiring works on the subject of water. Stories and dialogues should convey the importance of this precious resource in terms of its economical and daily use and in terms of people’s perception of it. The closing date for entries is Thursday, 2 April. Three prizes worth just under € 500 are up for grabs.

Further information is available at www.desafiodaagua.pt and https://aguasdoalgarve.pt/noticias/o-desafio-da-agua-esta-de-volta-com-novidades-para-comunidade-escolar-algarvia