Cabo Udra, a spit of land off the peninsula of O Morrazo in Galicia, Spain, is a very unique space protected legally due to the biodiversity found in its upland and marine ecosystems.  Its small area is crammed with native bird species, native grasses and various species of native pine trees.  Its rocky coastline cradles coves which act as incubators for native crustaceans, fish, seaweed and seabirds.

 

Despite its legally protected status, it suffers daily from unregulated road encroachment, vehicle and off-road intrusions, tree poaching, illegal fishing/poaching and marine and upland habitat destruction.  Its perimeter, once a buffer of thick pine woods, also suffers from deforestation, unscripted road development and poor land management.  

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These buffer parcels of woodlands owned by both private and public entities are mostly within 1000m from the shore, and are essential for absorbing the runoff which more and more is emptying into the coves and coastlines.  The marine ecosystem has seen diminished numbers of almost all native species, and will continue in this dire direction without appropriate safeguards.

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Terra Nosa aims to acquire select parcels of the areas surrounding Cabo Udra to reinstate the natural buffer along the coastline.  Its goal is to see increases in the biodiversity of both upland and marine habitats.  It aims to work with scientists to study the ecosystems before and for years after the land acquisitions.  It aims to educate the local electorate to increase their appreciation of the civic value of this open space and its natural habitats.  And, it aims to work with youth to educate them about their native heritage associated with Cabo Udra, instill conservation values in their decision-making, and endear them to become advocates of what they wish to preserve for future generations.