Jeez - it's just as well you are all so young and energetic. This one is a real, multi-faceted challenge. It is so distressing to see a major river reduced to a few puddles, as you so rightly described them. I shall be following this project with enormous interest .
Freshwater fish is so overlooked compared to marine species!! Glad that Mossy Earth is at the frontier in freshwater fauna conservation 👏 Thanks Teresa et al.! Can’t wait for the update!
Thank you, Sandra! We’re indeed setting our sights high and aiming to take freshwater conservation in the Mediterranean to the next level. We'll undertake this journey together - you can expect many updates as this long-term project evolves ** Teresa
Excellent work! I would love to see a volunteer group collect crawfish. Perhaps get the kids involved: I loved catching these either by hand or with a string and hook with some ham (or a hot dog piece) when I was a kid and it could be a fun way to educate them about the importance of this work.
That is a nice idea, to involve the kids in sensible invasive species control. (I also used to catch them with a string and a piece of bread in a Portuguese dam lake when I was a kid, btw - it is fun!) We are cooking an innovative plan to control the crawfish nonetheless - stay in tune for those news! * Teresa
There's actually an Australian TV show that started recently (I'm Australian) called Eat The Invaders 🤔 I wonder if it's actually a viable solution or not 😂
The thing about eucalypt plantations is that they create conditions for themselfs. When they take over land it means there are less animals like quirrels around to spread the acorn around. Also, the eucalypts often shade the young oaks, wich heavely limits their growth. When I go visit my family in the rural north, I usually kill/break small/medium eucalypts or acacia trees near oak saplings and young oak trees.
Exactly, eucalyptus plantations support much less fauna, which in turn weakens the whole web of ecological processes in Portugal. It is great you are fighting to give young oaks their space to survive - just be careful of breaking eucalyptus and acacias: they might resprout much more shootings after that! It will be more effective if you debark them to the ground ;) Obrigada por todo o apoio e entusiasmo * Teresa
@MossyEarth-FieldNotes I know debarking them is better but thats somewhat hard to do with bare hands😅. I also know they resprout so I just memorized where they are and go there every year.
Haha, as someone who spends way to much time writing EU research proposals, I can fully relate to the clip from after you submitted the LIFE proposal. I wish you all the best with the review process!
I love fish! Yesterday, I was thinking about leaving Mossy Earth for financial reasons, but this projects changed my mind and I will stay! Freshwater restauration is my favourite part of Mossy Earth, but I understand the necessity of the others too. Is there a share pic for freshwater restauration or even this particular project?
Thank you so much for the kind feedback! Restoring freshwater ecosystems is indeed a crucial solution for addressing a wide range of modern challenges, and we’re fully committed to this effort through our targeted Mediterranean project in the Mira basin. For more information, including pictures and updates on the project, I recommend visiting its dedicated page: www.mossy.earth/projects/saving-endemic-fish. Stay tuned-there’s much more to come! * Teresa
Hi! 👋 Thanks Teresa for the update on this project! You are doing such an important work and we must all help to preserve the earth's species. Looking forward to seeing the plant nursery!🙂 Let's hope for more of: 💦🐟🦦🌱
Thank you so much for your support! It's really motivating, and yes, let's hope for more water, fishes, otters and native plants! I am excited to tell you more about our plant nursery in our next vlog, as well as the start of the operations in our Rewilding Abandoned Eucalyptus Plantations project * Teresa
Yes, there are many plans to increase water retention! The broader project of restoring the Mira Basin is centered on fighting desertification too, by restoring the natural water cycle, soil and biodiversity. Several of our subprojects contribute to this effort, such as this Saving Endemic Fish project, which includes river gallery restoration to hold and boost water infiltration, and our Rewilding Abandoned Eucalyptus Plantations project. Stay tuned, as we’ll be sharing much more about more targeted initiatives regarding water in the future * Teresa
Interesting project. I mean in the face of climate change the question is can the watershed be restored so one can have almost flowing water or bigger pools year round before one could really work on the fish? Probably restoring that watershed is a much bigger project which would maybe involve the whole landuse and watrmanagement sector in the region, which would need massive governmental intervention idk? But taking care of the plantations is certainly helping the water cycle and also mapping the streams and fishes as a first step ofc is really amazing. Hopefully there will be more projects starting from other ngos or government aswell!
You’re absolutely right. That’s why this is actually a subproject within our broader Wilder Mira initiative, which focuses on watershed restoration and basin-level rewilding. To achieve this scale, we’re already collaborating with the local government and have joined forces with other local NGOs in a grassroots movement dedicated to restoring the river Mira. Stay tuned-we’ll share more updates on this soon! * Teresa
For now, we’re considering using eucalyptus wood primarily for erosion control, in addition to selling the most valuable logs. Potential applications range from simple structures to walls built along the contour lines. However, eucalyptus wood decomposes relatively quickly and contains high levels of allelopathic substances, which might make it less suitable for use in dam analogs within these sensitive Mediterranean streams. A more detailed assessment of the site’s needs, and perhaps some experimentation, will be essential to determine the best approach.
Question about horse logging. Using a horse to pull one log at a time I'm sure would be extremely expensive. Is there a way to do a horse and cart system. If you can use one horse to pull 25 logs at a time as opposed to one would that scale it enough. Is it more a function of friction on the ground that makes it wear a horse can only drag one log at a time or is it the weight? I don't know anything about horse logging just interested?
Not an expert just speculating. If you use horses for the most inaccessible areas a cart would put the horse at the same problem as a machine. Trying to remember what I seen in the past and I have a hard time picturing a horse pulling more than 10 logs even with a cart logs are so heavy. I might be very off on that guess.
It’s very much in line with what @Tvillingklippan said: we cannot significantly increase the additional weight a horse carries; and the ultimate goal of using horse logging is precisely to minimize the impact on sensitive soils compared to the effects of wheeled machinery ;) Teresa
That is not part of our plans for now, though it could certainly be considered in the longer term. Conservation often requires difficult decisions, as we must focus our limited budget on the most urgent or impactful priorities. However, when improving habitats - for example, for these two fish species - we are also benefiting a broader range of species. Plant surveys, on the other hand, can still be conducted through other less costly methods than eDNA. The use of eDNA makes the most sense for aquatic animal species, as it is the most effective method for detecting these elusive organisms. Hope I answered your question * Teresa
I cannot tell the model exactly. But it is a gaming computer to have a good graphics card to work with Geographic Information Systems, that's all I can say 😆 * Teresa
Is that shot at 3:03 of the project area? The bare dirt in that mimosa plantation helped kill the water cycle via evaporation. I hope you have plans & budget for equipment to dig swales & contour trenches. Water harvesting structures can help regenerate the forest and keep the river flowing, as you saw with Andrew Millison. Slowing the river down with rock dams and/or beaver-dam-equivalents should also be under consideration. Glad to see these remnants of colonial capitalism be converted, governments should be throwing funding at you.
That shot - of an intensive eucalyptus plantation in production mode - is within the Mira basin, but it’s not part of our pilot plot area for the Rewilding Abandoned Eucalyptus Plantations project. And we do have plans to disseminate water retention structures across the basin in a thoughtful and strategic manner : ) Stay tuned for updates on that! * Teresa
Gostava imenso apoiar este ou outro projeto de qualquer forma (alem da doação €€€ pessoal por enquanto). Têm algum assunto ou área onde posso contribuir esforço - por exemplo solicitar apoio $$$ das empresas/outras organizações aqui nos EUA? (Desculpe meu Português ruim, faz alguns anos desde vivi em pais.)
Thank you so much for your support! For now, as the project is just getting started, the best way to help is by sharing this project and the work we’re doing at Mossy Earth. Stay tuned, though - there may be opportunities to get involved in the near future! * Teresa
Thanks for your great work in restoring/supporting wild ecosystems🌿👌🏻
Jeez - it's just as well you are all so young and energetic. This one is a real, multi-faceted challenge. It is so distressing to see a major river reduced to a few puddles, as you so rightly described them. I shall be following this project with enormous interest .
Thanks for saving endemic fish species and restoring freshwater habitats!
Freshwater fish is so overlooked compared to marine species!! Glad that Mossy Earth is at the frontier in freshwater fauna conservation 👏 Thanks Teresa et al.! Can’t wait for the update!
Thank you, Sandra! We’re indeed setting our sights high and aiming to take freshwater conservation in the Mediterranean to the next level. We'll undertake this journey together - you can expect many updates as this long-term project evolves ** Teresa
Thanks!
Thank you! * Teresa
Really sad how little water there is there, although lots of potential for improvement!
True and exactly that - the angle we are trying to look at things here :) * Teresa
Reforestation is going to be key globally to restore water retention and/or contributing to rewilding.😊
Another project in Portugal lets go!
Hell yeah!
We are very happy to do our part in this project! Vamos lá! :)
We are very happy to have you as our partners to carry out this sensitive work! ***
Excellent work! I would love to see a volunteer group collect crawfish. Perhaps get the kids involved: I loved catching these either by hand or with a string and hook with some ham (or a hot dog piece) when I was a kid and it could be a fun way to educate them about the importance of this work.
That is a nice idea, to involve the kids in sensible invasive species control. (I also used to catch them with a string and a piece of bread in a Portuguese dam lake when I was a kid, btw - it is fun!) We are cooking an innovative plan to control the crawfish nonetheless - stay in tune for those news! * Teresa
@@MossyEarth-FieldNotesthat’s awesome, so you’ll be an excellent trainer, haha! Looking forward to seeing more of your work, great job Teresa!
Do a community cookout! It's crawfish boiling time!
Something like that 😅
There's actually an Australian TV show that started recently (I'm Australian) called Eat The Invaders 🤔 I wonder if it's actually a viable solution or not 😂
Great work Teresa!
The thing about eucalypt plantations is that they create conditions for themselfs. When they take over land it means there are less animals like quirrels around to spread the acorn around. Also, the eucalypts often shade the young oaks, wich heavely limits their growth. When I go visit my family in the rural north, I usually kill/break small/medium eucalypts or acacia trees near oak saplings and young oak trees.
Exactly, eucalyptus plantations support much less fauna, which in turn weakens the whole web of ecological processes in Portugal. It is great you are fighting to give young oaks their space to survive - just be careful of breaking eucalyptus and acacias: they might resprout much more shootings after that! It will be more effective if you debark them to the ground ;) Obrigada por todo o apoio e entusiasmo * Teresa
@MossyEarth-FieldNotes I know debarking them is better but thats somewhat hard to do with bare hands😅.
I also know they resprout so I just memorized where they are and go there every year.
Haha, as someone who spends way to much time writing EU research proposals, I can fully relate to the clip from after you submitted the LIFE proposal. I wish you all the best with the review process!
Yes, it sounds like you definitely know the feeling! 😆 Thank you so much for the good wishes! * Teresa
Looks like a lovely location. I hope you have a lot of success with the programme.
That is a major project. I'm glad you are taking it on. I wish I could pitch in
at least youre helping with spreading the word when commenting.
Yes, indeed a great task! Thank you for your support in anyway you can * Teresa
@ and the algo-thing really likes it when comments are stacked on comments
Thankyou-exciting progress -cross my fingers for the Life funding!like your Doggie!
I love the homemade vibes, keep going.
Thank you so much! We try to keep it real 🙈 Just kidding (kind of!) - but we genuinely aim to improve with each vlog. *Teresa
I hope this channel gets to 100k
Beautiful horse!
Go Mossy!
Interesting to see what works out the best, looking forward to updates.
Thank you for this vlog! So love what you are doing! ❤
So glad we have people like you to do this work. It is so important for biodiversity and habitat restoration. Keep up the great work :-)
I love fish!
Yesterday, I was thinking about leaving Mossy Earth for financial reasons, but this projects changed my mind and I will stay! Freshwater restauration is my favourite part of Mossy Earth, but I understand the necessity of the others too.
Is there a share pic for freshwater restauration or even this particular project?
Thank you so much for the kind feedback! Restoring freshwater ecosystems is indeed a crucial solution for addressing a wide range of modern challenges, and we’re fully committed to this effort through our targeted Mediterranean project in the Mira basin. For more information, including pictures and updates on the project, I recommend visiting its dedicated page: www.mossy.earth/projects/saving-endemic-fish. Stay tuned-there’s much more to come! * Teresa
thank you for your work!
Thank you for your support! * Teresa
Hi! 👋
Thanks Teresa for the update on this project!
You are doing such an important work and we must all help to preserve the earth's species.
Looking forward to seeing the plant nursery!🙂
Let's hope for more of:
💦🐟🦦🌱
Thank you so much for your support! It's really motivating, and yes, let's hope for more water, fishes, otters and native plants! I am excited to tell you more about our plant nursery in our next vlog, as well as the start of the operations in our Rewilding Abandoned Eucalyptus Plantations project * Teresa
Are there plans to increase water retention in the basin? or is this not feasable
Yes, there are many plans to increase water retention! The broader project of restoring the Mira Basin is centered on fighting desertification too, by restoring the natural water cycle, soil and biodiversity. Several of our subprojects contribute to this effort, such as this Saving Endemic Fish project, which includes river gallery restoration to hold and boost water infiltration, and our Rewilding Abandoned Eucalyptus Plantations project. Stay tuned, as we’ll be sharing much more about more targeted initiatives regarding water in the future * Teresa
Interesting project. I mean in the face of climate change the question is can the watershed be restored so one can have almost flowing water or bigger pools year round before one could really work on the fish? Probably restoring that watershed is a much bigger project which would maybe involve the whole landuse and watrmanagement sector in the region, which would need massive governmental intervention idk? But taking care of the plantations is certainly helping the water cycle and also mapping the streams and fishes as a first step ofc is really amazing. Hopefully there will be more projects starting from other ngos or government aswell!
You’re absolutely right. That’s why this is actually a subproject within our broader Wilder Mira initiative, which focuses on watershed restoration and basin-level rewilding. To achieve this scale, we’re already collaborating with the local government and have joined forces with other local NGOs in a grassroots movement dedicated to restoring the river Mira. Stay tuned-we’ll share more updates on this soon! * Teresa
@@MossyEarth-FieldNotes Thanks for ur answer and really exciting news- looking forward to it
Would you consider using the eucalyptus as material in beaver dam analogs?
For now, we’re considering using eucalyptus wood primarily for erosion control, in addition to selling the most valuable logs. Potential applications range from simple structures to walls built along the contour lines. However, eucalyptus wood decomposes relatively quickly and contains high levels of allelopathic substances, which might make it less suitable for use in dam analogs within these sensitive Mediterranean streams. A more detailed assessment of the site’s needs, and perhaps some experimentation, will be essential to determine the best approach.
Question about horse logging.
Using a horse to pull one log at a time I'm sure would be extremely expensive. Is there a way to do a horse and cart system. If you can use one horse to pull 25 logs at a time as opposed to one would that scale it enough.
Is it more a function of friction on the ground that makes it wear a horse can only drag one log at a time or is it the weight? I don't know anything about horse logging just interested?
Not an expert just speculating. If you use horses for the most inaccessible areas a cart would put the horse at the same problem as a machine.
Trying to remember what I seen in the past and I have a hard time picturing a horse pulling more than 10 logs even with a cart logs are so heavy. I might be very off on that guess.
That makes sense. if the main point of using them is to get in places where wheels can't go then a cart kind of nullifies that. Thanks for the reply
It’s very much in line with what @Tvillingklippan said: we cannot significantly increase the additional weight a horse carries; and the ultimate goal of using horse logging is precisely to minimize the impact on sensitive soils compared to the effects of wheeled machinery ;) Teresa
Will you run DNA analysis on the plantlets, too, in order to support genetic diversity of plant poulations?
That is not part of our plans for now, though it could certainly be considered in the longer term. Conservation often requires difficult decisions, as we must focus our limited budget on the most urgent or impactful priorities. However, when improving habitats - for example, for these two fish species - we are also benefiting a broader range of species. Plant surveys, on the other hand, can still be conducted through other less costly methods than eDNA. The use of eDNA makes the most sense for aquatic animal species, as it is the most effective method for detecting these elusive organisms. Hope I answered your question * Teresa
8:11 haha you got the exact same laptop i have xD what a nice surprise.
It's an Acer Aspire 5 or 6 right?^^
I cannot tell the model exactly. But it is a gaming computer to have a good graphics card to work with Geographic Information Systems, that's all I can say 😆 * Teresa
@MossyEarth-FieldNotes ah okay xD nonetheless high five computer-partner ^^
@@christophhanke6627 high five Acer computer-partner! 😄
Is that shot at 3:03 of the project area? The bare dirt in that mimosa plantation helped kill the water cycle via evaporation. I hope you have plans & budget for equipment to dig swales & contour trenches. Water harvesting structures can help regenerate the forest and keep the river flowing, as you saw with Andrew Millison. Slowing the river down with rock dams and/or beaver-dam-equivalents should also be under consideration. Glad to see these remnants of colonial capitalism be converted, governments should be throwing funding at you.
That shot - of an intensive eucalyptus plantation in production mode - is within the Mira basin, but it’s not part of our pilot plot area for the Rewilding Abandoned Eucalyptus Plantations project. And we do have plans to disseminate water retention structures across the basin in a thoughtful and strategic manner : ) Stay tuned for updates on that! * Teresa
❤❤
Gostava imenso apoiar este ou outro projeto de qualquer forma (alem da doação €€€ pessoal por enquanto). Têm algum assunto ou área onde posso contribuir esforço - por exemplo solicitar apoio $$$ das empresas/outras organizações aqui nos EUA?
(Desculpe meu Português ruim, faz alguns anos desde vivi em pais.)
Thank you so much for your support! For now, as the project is just getting started, the best way to help is by sharing this project and the work we’re doing at Mossy Earth. Stay tuned, though - there may be opportunities to get involved in the near future! * Teresa
PS, Good ole crawfish boil once a month. Start a new local tradition. 🦞🍲😋.
Thanks!
❤❤