We are rewilding a quarry - here’s why

We've been given a chance by our friends at Rewilding Portugal to help restore an old quarry and help transform it into a thriving wetland sanctuary. This is a project that will have many stories to tell as it is one of those very interesting examples of how we can accelerate rewilding.

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💪 OUR PARTNERS IN THIS VIDEO
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⏱️TIMESTAMPS⏱️
0:00 Intro
02:17 The mine
04:38 A unique wetland
06:24 Our project

🔎 ABOUT THIS PROJECT
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Paul de Toirões is an important area for landscape connectivity in northwest Portugal where nature is recovering from years of mining. The 300-hectare property boasts one of the largest water surface areas in the Greater Côa Valley, consisting of lagoons, canals, and ponds. Its diverse range of environments are connected by seasonal flooding which supports a variety of wildlife and vegetation. In an area managed by our partners, Rewilding Portugal, this project presents an excellent opportunity to expand its habitats and establish a stronghold for wilderness in the region. Starting with our first intervention, we aim to enlarge and diversify the habitats through earthworks.

[bbpoisonn]

The problem with quarries like these, at least in Germany, is that they’re simply too deep. They’re more like giant holes than actual lakes. If you modify the topography around the quarries I feel like you maybe should modify it under water too

[littlenick]

Hi Mossy Earth, a few notes from a quarry manager / environmental manager.

Firstly, this is a fantasy project and you are doing an excellent job. I really feel this could be the tip of the iceberg that could lead to truly exceptional gains for nature.

A few suggestions that may help for this site. You refer to the post working’s landscape as confusing and messy. While it may look like that, to the eye of a quarry worker it all makes perfect sense. And actually very neat for such an old working!

If you could get some input from mineral extraction experts I believe it could save you a lot of time and answer questions you didn’t even know you had yet. Better still I would aim to track down some old staff from the site. Us miners/quarry workers and local types and I would bet a lot that there are still some in the local area. Any staff that had worked the site will have an exceptional understanding of the ground conditions, water flow regimes & groundwater, now under water topography and what wildlife has come and gone over the years. In my experience miners are closet environmentalists!

Lastly I would suggest that you look for a chance to embed yourselves with a quarry/mine as it’s life comes to an end. Many of the tasks you wish to accomplish and very easy and cheap for active quarries to do, we just need to be told what to aim for.

With the huge number of sites that close each year across Europe and the ‘blank slate’ nature of these sites there is more opportunity than we could normally hope for in regards to habitat creation!

Keep up the fantastic work.

Nick

[DevonExplorer]

The turquoise water is due to the high mica content. Mica being one of several unwanted by-products of the extraction process. We have a lot of quarries here on the south-west peninsular of England, some abandoned and some still being worked. I've explored several of them and once got stuck in wet clay like your Sarah. I couldn't get out and eventually managed to dig each foot out with my hands. It was in Winter and very cold, lol. Great project and such a huge, fascinating place. All the very best. :)

[germanus]

I think testing the heavy metals in the water would be a good idea. Bright colors are often a feature of metal contamination. Hopefully, everything is still within safe levels even if some metals are a little high.

Otherwise i like the area. If i walked through I'd probably think it was natural. Although idk how i feel about removing the cliffs. Some aquatic species like to dig into cliffs for their habitat, as well as birds. But temporary ponds sound like a great addition.

[tiagodezoeten]

The idea of making some interventions and letting nature take it from there is very exciting and what rewilding is all about. Very happy about being part of this journey with our partners at Rewilding Portugal and I can't wait to visit the area again soon!

[ChelseaSteeb]

In the Czech republic, these quarries are a bit mixed, some sandy and others from hard stone. Everyone goes to them and some are actually the most beautiful places you might visit to dive and cold dip! Haha! This project is exciting!

[kattprus]

These projects are so cool, I love the bio-diversity you promote in many of your projects! It really helps with how barren we've made this landscape.

[Towandakit]

I've been a member for a few months and honestly, seeing the newsletter in my email or the transaction in my banking app always leaves me feeling optimistic & proud that there are humans out there doing rewilding that works with the land that's already there and nudges certain parts of it towards abundance and diversity :) For those on the fence about becoming a member, here's one comment who's in favor!

[terramater]

That's such a unique and exciting project! Our crew filmed a similar project that aimed to bring wilderness back to the UK. The place was home to bears, lynxes, and wolves. Then 70% of the UK's land area was used for agriculture. We followed rewilding initiatives across the UK to learn how various approaches to rewilding the British Isles work and found out whether there could soon be wolves in the Scottish Highlands again.

[ichifish]

Spent my wild youth diving and swimming in quarries around New Hampshire ("the granite state"). Looks like a great project, Mossy Earth. If I were you I'd get in touch with as many former quarry staff. I'm sure they've got tips for you about the topography and potential toxins.

[HanTheProphet]

I still rely on my parents a lot, but the second I'm financially independent, I will be a mossy earth member. Keep up the good work!

[PatrikInNature]

Bravo, Mossy Earth 🤘🏻. The filmmaking in this video is really on point. Especially the drone shots 🦌.

[Brigtzen]

Doing some of the most important work in my eyes, as much as we are ruining nature, it's immensely motivating knowing we can give it back aswell. I'd love to help some of these projects with a hand or two if i can find any local ones!

[pickuptrash]

I love your rewilding projects, we need more biodiversity! Keep going :D

[joaquimbarbosa]

7:34 The broken soil with moss looks amazing, and the water with small algae to. It truly looks like a lost wonderland

[bastianlaursen]

The color of some of the ponds could be caused by limestone in the surrounding sediment. I have seen similar colors in ponds located in limestone quarries.

[drharnsaft]

Nice to see new rewilding projects. Though I wonder how a place like that would've developed without intervention.

[coenvantuijl]

Great project and seems like nature has already begun taking over.

I really like idea of creating breeding habitat for wetland birdspecies. As a birdecologist myself, I already see some great potentials.

I noticed the little shrub in the middle of the water (minute 5:41), perhaps a Salix cinerea. It seems like it functions as a small breeding colony for grey heron. The situation of a safe island + the type of shrub is typical for breeding colonies of grey heron. I really hope you will save this place for the grey herons and perhaps create more places like this so that other similar island with shrubs (Salix cinerea?) can form. Grey heron colonies may even attract Eurasian spoonbill to nest aswell.

I read the management plan and read about the artificial island and the plans to introduce common reed. Do make sure not to combine those two goals on the same waterbodies. Islands (also the ones with shrubs) are much longer lived when water levels are constant yearround. Whereas common reeds needs dynamic water, fluctuations in levels, in order to thrive.

Good luck on the project!

[TroyEagan]

I love this project! It would be great to see future videos on the plant propagation aspect.

[jacobrussell]

Hi
I come from Denmark and I would love if you could do a rewilding project in Denmark. I know it doesn't look very good for nature in Denmark, just like most of the world. I hope that you will consider Denmark as the next country to give a helping hand.