THREE ASPECTS OF CARING FOR LAND
1
Strategic landscapes secured
for long-term regeneration.
2
Guardians assume long‑term
responsibility.
3
The Academy prepares people to
hold this care responsibly
LANDSCAPES UNDER STEWARDSHIP
OR IN ADVANCED STAGES OF ACQUISITION
We secure lands as living systems, not as isolated plots
We work across rural estates, baldios, smallholdings, peri‑urban and urban sites where strategic value goes beyond size.
A 1.600 hectare plot where a guardian team of 16 people has begun a major project in ecological, social and economic regeneration.
- Secured multi-year funding
- Co-creating Long-Term Vision
- Fostering Community Connection
- Established Ecological Baseline
20 Jobs
Created
Economical Return
Biodiversity
Recovery
Natural Return
Local Market
Revived
Social Return
Community
Envolvement
Inspirational Return
A 2.000m2 quinta and home where the donors live and remain as guardians, creating a food forest and building community.
- Building a Seed Bank
- Demonstrating Agroecology
- Prototyping Regenerative Guardianship
- Empowering Community Action
Ecosystem
Biodiversity
Natural Return
Property
Rehabilitated
Economic Return
Guardians
Trained
Social Return
Established
Community
Inspirational Return
An association formed to regenerate mountain landscapes across four municipalities of Central Portugal for owners who can no longer care for them.
- Desining a Micro-Reserve Network
- Agregating Abandoned Mountain Plots
- Controling Invasive Species
- Sustainable Business Models
Ecological
Awareness
Natural Return
Regional
Advocacy
Inspirational Return
Local Market
Revived
Economical Return
Community
Participation
Social Return
Tell us about your land
WHO CARES FOR THESE PLACES
Guardian Entities steward specific landscapes over time. They restore ecosystems, livelihoods, and social fabric in practice. Guardianship outlives any single person or project.
LEARNING TO CARE
The Academy is a learning pathway for people ready to grow into long‑term responsibility for land and place.
The Guardian Regeneration Pathway blends learning with practice, helping people build ecological literacy, governance skills, economic realism, and inner readiness. Individuals, collectives, and landowners can begin learning ,with or without land, before stepping into formal guardianship.
PROTECTION AND CARE BEYOND ONE LIFETIME
Our model works in both rural and urban settings
Whether you hold land, want to become a Guardian, support regeneration, or simply feel called to learn, this is a place to begin.
Regeneration is not a project.
It is a commitment across time.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you can’t find an answer, just send us a message.
Where will these guardians come from?
We do not just find guardians; we cultivate them. Avoiding the fragility of individual ownership, we require Guardian Entities—teams of at least three people—to ensure resilience and diverse skills. We source these teams through our Regenerative Entrepreneurship Academy, Bio-Region networks, and regional foundation hubs.
Many guardians might get tired and desist; what then?
We mitigate human fragility by entrusting land only to Guardian Entities—collective legal teams of at least three people—rather than individuals. This distributes the burden of stewardship. We further reduce risk through mandatory training in conflict resolution and ‘Will-Being-Function,’ bioregional support networks, and the Foundation’s power as the Ultimate Guardian to appoint new teams if necessary.
Who will fund the guardians?
Guardians act as businesses, generating their own revenue through sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, and forest products. For the initial training and setup phase, we mobilize capital through ‘The Grove’—our circle of impact philanthropists—and specific ‘Guardian Entrepreneurship Funds’. We are also building the infrastructure to monetise ‘Natural Returns’—such as carbon sequestration and biodiversity credits.
How do you choose a guardian?
We do not select individuals; we partner with Guardian Entities—collective legal teams of at least three people. Whether existing groups or donors forming new entities, candidates must qualify through our Regenerative Entrepreneurship Academy, demonstrating skills in conflict resolution and regenerative business. They must submit a viable ‘Guardian Project’ for rigorous review by our Technical Board. We entrust land only to teams proving they can transform a landscape into a self-sustaining legacy.
If I own land, can I become a guardian on my land without donating my land to the Foundation?
To be a formal Guardian Entity, the land must be a Strategic Asset held by the Foundation to ensure protection in perpetuity. However, we actively support owners who wish to act as guardians on their own properties. You can participate in our Regenerative Entrepreneurship Academy to professionalize your stewardship, join our Regenerative Action Network as an ambassador, or explore intermediate legal mechanisms like Direito de Superfície (Surface Rights), which grant the Foundation conservation rights while you retain ownership.
How do you ensure the land remains protected if the Foundation goes bankrupt or dissolves?
Our legal structure employs an ‘Asset Lock’ ensuring land protection persists even if the Foundation dissolves. Statutes explicitly forbid mortgaging Strategic Assets, isolating land from financial risk. Under Article 17, assets cannot return to the private market but must transfer to a Public Utility entity legally bound to maintain perpetual protection and uphold existing Guardian Contracts or to the State.
What happens if the Guardians do not do what they are supposed to do?
We address non-compliance first through support and remediation plans, prioritising relationship rebuilding and continuous dialogue to correct course,. However, we rigorously monitor all projects, and our Board of Administration holds the statutory authority to rescind contracts if a Guardian Entity persistently fails to meet its obligations after review by our Technical Council. As the Ultimate Guardian, we guarantee the land remains protected by stepping in to appoint a new Guardian Entity if necessary, ensuring the regenerative mission continues regardless of individual project failures
What if I change my mind after donating?
If you donate land as a Strategic Asset, we guarantee it will never be sold; our legal ‘Asset Lock’ ensures it is permanently removed from the speculative market to be protected forever as a common heritage. For donors seeking different engagement horizons, we accept Non-Strategic Assets explicitly to fund our operations (which may be sold), or Surface Rights (Direitos de Superfície), where we steward the land for a long period—typically 25+ years—before ownership reverts to your heirs. While the act of donation is irrevocable, these options allow you to choose between creating a perpetual sanctuary or providing the essential resources to power our regenerative mission.
What costs will I incur?
Typically, you would be responsible for the costs associated with the transfer of title, while the Foundation covers all expenses related to the required legal and technical due diligence to accept the property,. However, in exceptional circumstances where a property holds significant strategic value, we may utilize resources from our Land Acquisition Fund to defray these transfer costs for you. This flexibility allows us to secure high-impact landscapes while ensuring our capital is primarily directed toward long-term regeneration and stewardship.
Can I reclaim my property after a few years if what I see happening there is not to my satisfaction?
No, once a donation contract is finalised, the property cannot be reclaimed by the original owner; our Carta de Princípios dos Mecenas explicitly states that assets cannot return to donors, ensuring they are permanently removed from the speculative market. However, if the project is not proceeding as planned, the Foundation acts as the ‘Ultimate Guardian’ with the statutory authority to intervene, rescind the contract with the specific Guardian entity, and appoint a new one to ensure the agreed-upon regenerative vision is fulfilled,. This structure guarantees that while the land remains protected in perpetuity under the Foundation’s ownership, the management can be changed to ensure the project’s success and alignment with our shared mission.