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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Travel
Oliver Balch

My volunteering trip to help bring a fire-ravaged Portuguese forest back to life

Swimming in the natural pool near Ferraria de São João.
Swimming in the natural pool near Ferraria de São João. Photograph: Oliver Balch

The gently sloping valley floor beneath the village of Ferraria de São João is so green and lush that you could imagine insects having to queue to take their turn in its Arcadian abundance. Birds sing, bees buzz, and meadow grasses shoot up towards an azure sky.

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