It has been raining for the past weeks, and the soil is moist, meaning it is time for the Oporto Adventure Tours plantation day in Geres National Park!
It has been raining for the past weeks, and the soil is moist, meaning it is time for the Oporto Adventure Tours plantation day in Geres National Park! 21 October 2023 marks the end of this season, therefore all guides that have been active this year and also those who have been making tours before get together to give back to nature by planting trees. On this day we get together to enjoy each other's company as well as to meet with the locals who have become our friends and family through these years. The day begins when the team meets at the office in Oporto and starts their drive to the wonderful village of Fafião in Peneda-Geres National Park. Because of the previous plantation day and the people who have joined us for tours - many oak and chestnut seeds have been sowed and the nursery has been maintained throughout the year, therefore, the already little plants are waiting for us to collect them at the nursery. This time we are going to an area that was destroyed by a fire in 2019. Here trees are still black from the fire and we can feel that the forest needs our help to get back to its green and healthy self. And there we go, we dig up the ground and find a special place for each little tree to have a place to grow big and strong. Overall this day we planted 200 trees, however, it's not difficult to plant trees, but it's difficult to ensure that the trees will make a difference in the future. There is more chance of survival as we collect seeds from the same forests to ensure that there are no changes to the tree's DNA! Next, our day continues in the nursery where we carefully plant each of the 500 oak and chestnut seeds we have found along the way to be ready for our next plantation. Everybody is invested and loves to be a part of this amazing event where we thank nature for providing for us, giving us the opportunities to get to know it, and letting us fall in love with Peneda-Geres National Park. We all share the responsibility of taking care of the land. It's like being the guardians of a big puzzle called the ecosystem. When we look after the forest, we're also looking out for our community and the animals that live there. By keeping the forest healthy, we're keeping our community and its animals happy and safe. As a company, we must minimize any ecological impact caused by our tourism-related activities. It's a strong project when the community - house of Mr. Alcides, Odete, Júlio, and so many other fafiotos get involved! The project has a greater chance of success when the whole team comes together and when we put all our love and hope for a better world in each tree!! Thank you all! Megija Ruņģe, Erasmus intern
