Vale da Aveleira Integral Bio-Reserve
Milvoz's largest and most emblematic Bio-Reserve — 70 hectares of ancient forest in the Serra da Lousã, untouched by human presence for decades, with unique Iberian endemics.
The Vale da Aveleira Integral Bio-Reserve, located in the Serra da Lousã, holds a special place among Milvoz's Bio-Reserves — not only because it is the largest (approximately 70 hectares), but also because it contains a range of natural values that are unique in terms of their preservation, relevant at national and even international scale.
It consists of five steep and difficult-to-access valleys, on schist soils, which for several decades have experienced no human presence or impact, and have also been spared from the successive fires that have ravaged the region in recent times.
A Unique Forest
This is an area of ancient forests, comprising very diverse habitats — some more humid and Atlantic in character in the enclosed valleys, others drier and more Mediterranean on the higher slopes and rocky ridges.
The variety of fauna, flora, fungi, lichens and mosses is enormous. Particularly notable are the chestnut groves with dozens of century-old trees, climax strawberry tree stands and relict cherry laurel woodlands. Also present are holm oak, English oak, holly, wild cherry, buckthorn and, of course, numerous hazel trees.
Iconic Wildlife
From a faunal perspective, this is a privileged refuge for emblematic species of Portuguese fauna, particularly forest birds, mesocarnivores and ungulates, as well as reptiles and amphibians, with several Iberian endemics recorded.
Iconic species include the red deer, roe deer, short-toed snake eagle, white-throated dipper, Lusitanian salamander, Iberian emerald lizard and Iberian horn-nosed viper. A vast array of other living beings thrives in this protected space, many still to be inventoried, but no less important — characteristic of this rare example of an ancient native forest in remarkable conservation condition.
Rivers and Rocky Gorges
Throughout the valleys, various streams flow, their volume highly dependent on rainfall, all draining into the Ribeira Maior — a course of permanent, turbulent waters that have sculpted, over centuries, rocky gorges and precipices where rapids and waterfalls abound.
An Integral Bio-Reserve
Given the importance of the habitats established within, Milvoz decided to designate this area as an 'Integral Bio-Reserve', a concept fully applicable under the legislation governing integral reserves within public protected areas: "Integral reserves are spaces whose purpose is the maintenance of natural processes in an undisturbed state and the preservation of ecologically representative examples in a dynamic and evolutionary state, in which human presence is only admitted for reasons of scientific research or environmental monitoring" (Decree-Law 19/93).
Since August 2022, Milvoz has held a 30-year usufruct agreement over this natural area, through a contract established with the landowners with the express purpose of ensuring its preservation, monitoring and environmental management.
Rising from the Ashes
A wildfire devastated the Vale da Aveleira, one of the oldest and most important forests for us. Now, this ecosystem needs to regenerate, and we need you. Contribute to the 'Rising from the Ashes' crowdfunding and help nature bloom again.
