Bioestrela
Bioestrela is an ambitious new project, to build livelihoods and restore biodiversity, in the valleys of the Serra da Estrela – Portugal’s highest mountain range and largest natural park. As one of a handful of global pilots for Plan Vivo’s new Biodiversity Standard (Plan Vivo Nature), the project will ultimately produce high-integrity biodiversity certificates that represent real, additional and verifiable benefits for biodiversity, and also for people and climate.
Restoring biodiversity and climate resilience
There is an urgent need to bring back nature and create new livelihoods on the slopes and valleys of the Serra da Estrela. Right now there is a chance for new land stewards to step in. To learn from the remaining elders who know the land, its infrastructure of springs, waterways and terraces as well as its micro-climates, flora and fauna.
The project first focuses on the removal of the pine, eucalyptus and mimosa monocultures that dominate the landscape – much of which used to be covered in native forest of oaks, chestnut and rowan. Bioestrela will build on this crucial initial work by looking at the biodiversity and habitat restoration that can follow clearing.
Bioestrela has completed detailed planning for its two main Regeneration Hubs and is continuing to push forward as a pilot project for the new global biodiversity standard, Plan Vivo Nature. C Level and URZE are working with Plan Vivo, Okala and the local communities in the face of major on the ground challenges including wild fires and floods. Zurich Insurance funded the initial design phase for the Regenertion Hubs.
Land area
3000 ha
Project Status
Developing
Participants
200
Founding Partners & Year
C Level & URZE, 2023
Certified Under
Plan Vivo Nature
Project Type
Biodiversity Restoration
Key Species
Chestnut, Oak, Strawberry Tree, Genet, Peregrine Falcon, Goshawk, White Booted Eagle
Award-winning film
Bioestrela – Regenerating The Serra da Estrela, a short award winning documentary filmed in the Valezim Regeneration Hub. ‘Best film award’, International Environmental Film Festival, CINE ECO
How it works
Bioestrela is situated on the West side of the Estrela mountains, a stunningly wild and beautiful area. It is an area at a critical turning point where subsistence smallholder farming and land knowledge remains in an ageing rural population, which is at risk of being lost through rural abandonment.
The Bioestrela project aims to build on local knowledge of the land to enhance livelihoods and strengthen biodiversity.
Critically, the project also aims to help reduce the risk of wildfires which are destroying large areas of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park. In the summer of 2022 around 20% of the Serra da Estrela, was lost to a raging wildfire which burnt for several days. And in 2025, wild fire burnt through both of the projects main Regeneration Hubs.
The work of the project is to engage and support the community of smallholder land owners, in clearing invasive alien tree species (like mimosa and eucalyptus) and planting indigenous trees. Regeneration of the land will go hand in hand with fire resilience, new enterprises and livelihoods.
What Makes This Project Special
In the long term, Bioestrela could act as a model for ecological and cultural regeneration in depopulated upland areas of Portugal. There are still extensive areas of ‘common land’ in Portugal, called Baldios. Much of it is in the mountains. The project is working to include the Baldios owned by the community of Valezim into Bioestrela.
Pilot for Plan Vivo Nature
A Global Biodiversity Standard that will produce high-integrity biodiversity certificates that represent real, additional and verifiable benefits for biodiversity, and for people and climate.
Pilot for Fire Resilience through Nature Regeneration
By bringing back indigenous trees, the valleys of the Serra da Estrela will become more moist and more fire resisilient. Oaks are adapted to fire on the mountain.
New Livelihoods from Nature Regeneration
New livelihoods can be created from new forms of eco tourism built from the regeneration of nature, while the creation of the new standard and biodiversity certificates provides new nature finance for new livelihoods.
Aging Rural Population
The elders, the farmers and the shepherds of the mountain have few people from younger generations to hand down their knowledge to. Bioestrela provides a framework to address this.
Ancestral infrastructure
The Regeneration Hubs are in steep sided river valleys that contain ruins from earlier settlements and a system of water ways - Lavadas, that channel onto the massive stonework terraces. This infrastructure can be revived to serve nature regeneration.
Responding to Challenge
- Monoculture pine forests
Invasive alien tree species like mimosa and eucalyptus – fire hazard and no biodiversity value
- Abandonment
Critical turning point where subsistence smallholder farming and land knowledge remains in an ageing rural population
- Wildfires
Global warming, abandonment and monocultures create wild fire risk. In 2022 around 20% of the Serra da Estrela, was lost to a raging wildfire which burnt for several days. Both Bioestrela Hubs burnt in 2025.
Project Documentation
For a transparent overview of the project’s progress and impact, the project idea note is available for download
All project media assets and impact reports are available to all partners through the dedicated Client Hub.