The Vale das Amoreiras Private Protected Area (APPVA) was born out of a partnership between a family that owns land in the south-west of the Algarve and a local environmental conservation association - Rewilding Sudoeste, in 2022. The von Mentzigen family decided to set aside an area of 10 hectares for the preservation and conservation of nature, giving it the status of a Private Protected Area, functioning as a privately owned natural park. Rewilding Sudoeste manages the park, focusing its activity on two aspects: 1.publicising natural values and 2.maintaining the natural values of the biodiverse relict forest, which is home to rare plant and tree species protected by law, some on the Red List of Portugal's Vascular Flora, and hundreds of species of fungi, in perfect symbiosis. The APPVA is therefore a destination that attracts researchers, scientists and the general public. It is a place of excellence where environmental education and citizen science activities are promoted.