The Grove

The Grove.

We call it The Grove. Not because it is one yet, but because it will be.

Ten Hectares for the Future

Tucked into a valley in central Portugal, there is a slope that most people would walk past without a second look. Sun-scorched in summer. Windswept in winter. Rocky, steep, and stubbornly dry. This is not the kind of land that makes the cover of a nature magazine.

But it is exactly the kind of land that needs someone to show up, year after year, with a bag of seedlings and the patience to see what takes root.

10 Hectares
5,855 Trees Planted
21+ Native Species
Seedlings planted on the steep, rocky restoration slope with scattered green hills in the background

Young seedlings finding their footing on the slope. Give them a few years.

The Grove in Photos

Planting days, seasons changing, wildlife arriving. The real story of a hillside becoming a forest.

Aerial drone view of the restoration valley
Person installing tree guards on the slope
Trays of seedlings loaded on a truck
Close-up of oak acorns on a branch
Two people drilling planting holes
Handmade birdhouse in a pine tree
Red autumn leaves on a young oak tree
Sheep grazing among tree guards on the slope
Native seedlings in trays with autumn colours
Green tiger beetles on bare ground
Two people planting on the hillside
Moss-covered granite boulders with pine behind
Pale mushroom on the forest floor
Hand holding a bottle of collected acorns
Person standing next to a tall sapling
Vibrant red autumn leaves against the sky

Biodiversity Coming Back

Before this project began, the land was a monoculture of pine — row after row of the same species, planted for timber and little else. The soil was thin, the undergrowth was sparse, and wildlife had very little reason to stay.

Today, over 20 species of native trees grow on this slope: cork oak, wild cherry, strawberry tree, carob, chestnut, birch, alder, and more. And as the diversity of trees grows, the animals follow. Birds are nesting. Insects are pollinating. Fungi are threading through the soil. We track it all through iNaturalist — a living record of a hillside waking up.

Species Recorded Over Time

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Species Identified
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One Living Site

Species Gallery

Recent Sightings

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The Grove — Ecosystem Web

210 species. Hundreds of feeding relationships. Click on any node to explore how life connects on this hillside.

Every bird, every beetle, every mushroom pushing through the soil is proof that something is changing on this hillside. Be part of it.
Get the Game Support on Kickstarter Explore on iNaturalist

Biodiversity data powered by iNaturalist — TheGrove project

Ten hectares of degraded hillside, slowly becoming a forest again.

Your Tree on the Slope

Patrons at Field Patron tier and above get a tree planted in their name. A real seedling, on a real hillside, facing the same sun and wind as every other tree in The Grove. Every November, you will hear how it is doing — alongside photos and video from the planting visit.

We are working towards giving every named tree GPS coordinates, so you can find yours on the map and watch it grow year after year.

Trays of native seedlings ready for the hillside Seedlings heading to the slope
A young carob tree growing between rocks Carob finding its way
A beech tree seedling on the restoration slope Native beech taking hold
Aerial view of the ten-hectare restoration site The slope from above

Help Build The Grove

Every game sold plants a tree. Every backer grows The Grove. Join us.

Get the Game Support on Kickstarter