The green heart of the village
Where nature and community coexist in harmony.
(Re)discovering the West
A column where we discover, or rediscover, the natural heritage of the western region of Portugal. A region nestled between the sea and the mountains, where the countryside and the city constantly intersect. A place of connections, a space of potential. It was here that Nora was born.
Bombarral
The municipality occupies a central position in the western region, based on a fertile landscape marked by farmland, vineyards, and pear orchards.
There was once a private hunting reserve connected to the adjacent woods: Mata da Quinta da Granja, Sobral, Carvalhal and Moita dos Ferreiros. Despite the proliferation of agricultural and forestry production, initially promoted by the monks of the Alcobaça Monastery, this area was spared for the owner's use. In 1940, the hunting reserve was acquired, along with the Casa da Coutada, also known as Palácio dos Henriques, by the City Council to become a municipal park and Town Hall respectively.
On the one hand, the private nature of this space meant that its management and maintenance were dictated by human hands; on the other hand, it allowed the reduction of external human pressures and the preservation of the vegetation, even though its size has decreased over time. Many see the forest as a "living museum" representative of the Mediterranean forest and the natural vegetation of the region. Note the presence of rare species and specimens with large and unusual dimensions. The strawberry tree, the cork oak, the holm oak, the laurel, the Portuguese oak, the ash tree, and the elm are some of the native species that can be found there.
With 4 hectares and positioned in the center of the urban fabric, the Mata Municipal functions as the lung of the village and provides numerous ecosystem services. The intrinsic ecological value is enormous, and to this is added its sociocultural role - its history that refers to the origin of the locality or its role in the life of the community. It is, par excellence, the space for leisure and walks, and it is also where the biggest municipal events take place.
A balanced, low-intervention management approach that protects nature while ensuring its enjoyment by the population is a challenge. However, it is in this balance that the charm of the Mata resides.
Finally, we can only call for the important creation of urban ecological corridors that integrate the wood and extend it through the intricacies of the urban fabric. Even though the town has a large green space, it is isolated, surrounded by urbanized land. There is a need to create an Urban Ecological Structure that integrates the wood, but does not consist solely of it. This need becomes more pressing as Bombarral grows.
Bibliographic references: Vilaça, E., 2006. A Mata Municipal do Bombarral como património histórico e natural.