Portuguese forests are much more than trees. They are part of our identity, how we grow and recognize ourselves as a people. For centuries, they have provided us with sustenance, shelter, energy, stories, and songs. They have been places of work and celebration, of myths and memories passed down from generation to generation.
They are also living testimony to our shared history: from the 1901 forestry regime to the great afforestation campaigns of the 20th century, from cork oak forests to the pine forests that have fueled industries, cultures and ways of life.
But today, these same forests are changing before our eyes.
Between 1995 and 2023, more than 11% of forest areas disappeared.
In 35 years, an area equivalent to half of the national territory has burned in fires.
With every hectare lost, species, landscapes, memories and fragments of the future are also lost.
Recent images of massive fires are open scars: they remind us of the fragility of ecosystems, but also of the urgency of taking better care of what is ours.
Memories of the Forest is a space for tribute and sharing.
A tribute to the communities that have lived and continue to live alongside the forest, to those who suffer the devastation of the fires, and also to all the firefighters and professionals who courageously face the fires to protect lives, homes, landscapes, and heritage.
And it is, above all, an invitation:
Bring your stories, photographs, memories.
Share with us your childhood memories, the smells, the sounds, the forest paths.
Because only together can we preserve and value this living heritage that belongs to all of us.
Share this page. Share your memory. Let's make the forest a common heritage, so it won't be lost in the silence of time.