The Couto da Eirexiña is a Galician-based association focused on natural heritage conservation. The project began in 2018 through the land stewardship with the community woodland of Rebordelo, in the municipality of Cerdedo-Cotobade (northwest Spain) and landowners. Currently, the project has 172.66 hectares in custody where a great diversity of ecosystems are integrated, such as the Atlantic forest, riparian forest or ponds, among others.

As in the rest of Europe, Galician ecosystems are suffering a decline due to climate change, wildfires, Invasive Alien Species (IAS), land abandonment or the pressure of the monoculture tree plantations (e.g. eucalyptus). For these reasons, the main objective of our association is to conserve and promote the native forest, biodiversity and ecosystem services. We consider that environmental education, volunteering, and land stewardship are essential tools to achieve this objective and involve society in this goal.

Therefore, the aims of the Couto da Eirexiña association are the following:

1. Conserve, restore and divulge the natural heritage and biodiversity.
2. Promote natural, ethnographic and cultural values.
3. Develop the figure of land stewardship and promote volunteering and environmental education as tools for the conservation of the natural environment.
4. Promote the active participation of citizens in the conservation of the environment.
5. Conserve the biodiversity, habitats and ecosystems located in the Couto da Eirexiña project.
6. Develop innovative strategies and tools for adaptation and improvement of resilience to Climate Change from citizen participation.
7. Include the gender perspective in volunteering and environmental education.

Moreover, to achieve these objectives, we carry out the following activities:

1. Carry out volunteer and environmental education activities.
2. Promote citizen science projects.
3. Prepare educational and training resources.
4. Carry out activities for monitoring, control and inventory of habitats, flora and fauna.
5. Develop programs for the identification and control of Invasive Alien Species.
6. Develop and execute environmental restoration programs.
7. Implement programs of socio-cultural animation and rural and community development.
8. Develop youth participation programs.

Do you want to involve in this nature conservation project?  Visit our website and social media and contact us.

E-mail: coutodaeirexinha@gmail.com
Participant Identification Code (PIC): 888744071
OTLAS profile: Asociación Couto da Eirexiña.