Pro Nativa was born from a group of friends in the Aljezur area, with the intention of protecting and expanding the unique forests of the Southwest of Portugal. Jack Golds was the main founder who brought this initiative to the local Cooperative.

Operating primarily in the municipalities of Aljezur, Monchique, and Odemira, the team is focused on the principles of rewilding and habitat management, ecological restoration, and close-to-nature forestry, with a particular interest in the conversion of abandoned forest monocultures into native woodland.

This translates into services ranging from consulting and mapping, to intervention planning, all the way to on-the-ground operations, such as timber harvesting and hauling, invasive species control, arboriculture, nature trail creation, implementation of post-fire emergency measures, and cork extraction.

All of this – and more – is done while respecting ecological succession, with strong emphasis on Natural Regeneration and Nature-Based Solutions.

Currently, the Pro Nativa team includes 11 members and operates across dozens of private properties, totaling over 1,000 hectares of combined land.