Quercus is a Portuguese NGO bringing together around 4,000 associates and 18 regional bureaus.

It mobilizes hundreds of volunteers in its campaigns and has a professional structure working on nature conservation, waste, climate and energy, forest, communication and education for sustainable development, plus working groups working on pesticides, agriculture, water, oceans and noise. The Association’s goals include defending and promoting the conservation of natural values and sustainability, as well as scientific and environmental education activities for civic engagement.

Quercus is also a member of the Portuguese Confederation of Environmental Associations CPADA and of 8 other international organizations and a partner in many movements and platforms.

Tell us a bit more about the main activities, campaigns and/or projects you are working on at the moment?

At the moment, there are a few areas that are taking most of the association’s time and effort:

• forests: we are fighting for a better forestry management and carrying activities of reforestation out;
• waste: we have been working on the creation of a mobile app – wasteapp.pt – to improve awareness regarding recycling, circular economy;
• combating pesticides: we are offering information on alternative agricultural and public spaces grooming practices;
• wildlife conservation: with three centres for the caring and treatment of injured wildlife.

What does EEB membership mean to your organisation? How does it help you in your daily work and to bring about the changes you would like to see in Europe and beyond?

EEB as a federation is an example of democratic and transparent governance, always making efforts to be more efficient and to hear and build from its members. It is also a great source of reliable and actual information, both at technical and political levels. It helps us to build capacity in several environmental areas. It’s a forum for contacts with other NGOs in Europe and finally a place where one can also create good professional and friendship relations.

Do you have a recent success story that you would like to share with us?

In the scope of our project “Capacity Building to Promote a Green Citizenship”, funded under Erasmus+, we decided to disseminate among our staff and members how Brussels based organizations act and work.

We organised a visit to the EEB office for some video interviews, posted on our website. We also decided to learn from an association with a similar structure and focus as Quercus: a match was the EEB member Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. We met in Helsinki and talked about nature conservation, environmental threats and challenges, advocacy campaigns, energy projects and good practices on working with volunteers and on European related policies.

But without our previous experience in the EEB we would not have gained an European vision, nor the opportunity of knowing similar organizations in Europe. Thank you EEB.

Quercus staff in Helsinki, meeting the EEB member Finnish Association for Nature Conservation.